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Acute pancreatitis secondary to gestational hypertriglyceridaemia
Alexis M Cahalane1, Myles J Smith, James Ryan
1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Case Reports in Medicine
|July 31, 2012
Summary
Gestational hypertriglyceridaemia, a rare cause of acute pancreatitis, presents diagnostic and management challenges. This case highlights computed tomography for severity assessment and plasmapheresis for treatment.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Gastroenterology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Gestational hypertriglyceridaemia is a rare condition.
- It is an uncommon cause of acute pancreatitis.
- Pathophysiology, severity scoring, and management are challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of acute pancreatitis secondary to gestational hypertriglyceridaemia.
- To describe the utility of computed tomography in assessing pancreatitis severity.
- To illustrate the use of plasmapheresis in managing this condition.
Main Methods:
- Case report.
- Utilized computed tomography for pancreatitis severity assessment.
- Employed plasmapheresis for therapeutic intervention.
Main Results:
- Acute pancreatitis was successfully managed.
- Computed tomography provided an alternative severity determination.
- Plasmapheresis was effective in treating gestational hypertriglyceridaemia-induced pancreatitis.
Conclusions:
- Gestational hypertriglyceridaemia can cause acute pancreatitis.
- Computed tomography can aid in severity assessment.
- Plasmapheresis is a viable treatment option for this rare condition.
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