Diuretic-associated pancreatitis: a collective review and illustrative cases

Three patients are presented as illustrative examples of severe necrotizing pancreatitis associated with diuretic therapy. The presumed initiating factor was use of a benzothiadiazine (chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide) or phthalimidine (chlorthalidone) diuretic to control hypertension, after the exclusion of other etiologies. We present these illustrative cases and a collective review, emphasizing that pancreatitis associated with these widely prescribed medications can be fatal and may be more common that previously thought.