Acute pancreatitis secondary to hypertriglyceridaemia caused by undiagnosed type 2 diabetes

In some patients undiagnosed diabetes may present with metabolic complications of diabetes as their initial presentation. Suboptimal glycaemic control in diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes can cause hypertriglyceridaemia which can cause pancreatitis. In patients presenting with pancreatitis where common causes of pancreatitis are excluded hypertriglyceridaemia should be considered as a cause and hence their lipid profile should be evaluated. If hypertriglyceridaemia is confirmed, then such a patient should be screened for diabetes. We present three cases presenting to hospital with pancreatitis secondary to hypertriglyceridaemia. Hypertriglyceridaemia in all three were secondary to undiagnosed and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Early treatment of hypertriglyceridaemia can prevent morbidity and mortality. Diagnosing type 2 diabetes in this context can result in optimisation of glycaemic control, and hence improve hypertriglyceridaemia and reduce the risk of recurrent attacks of pancreatitis.