A case report of Paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis: mind the gap in a malnourished patient

Pyroglutamic acidosis is a rare cause of high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Most cases of paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis are described in malnourished women and patients with kidney/liver failure, alcohol use or severe sepsis. In this report, we describe how pyroglutamic acidosis could be related to the use of chronic therapeutic paracetamol with only malnutrition as an associated risk factor.

We report a case of a 67-year-old male patient developing a pyroglutamic acidosis. The patient was initially admitted to hospital for infectious osteoarthritis and developed a metabolic acidosis during his hospital stay. Analgesics included daily therapeutic doses of paracetamol. What makes our case unusual is that our malnourished male patient did not have renal or hepatic failure. The diagnosis of paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis was made after ruling out the main causes of metabolic acidosis. It was further confirmed by urine organic acids measurement showing a markedly elevated level of pyroglutamic aciduria. Paracetamol was discontinued allowing a prompt correction of the anion gap.

This case is a representative of pyroglutamic acidosis related to chronic therapeutic paracetamol with only malnutrition as an associated risk factor. Physicians should be aware of such unusual cause of metabolic acidosis, which may be more common than expected in hospitalized patients. A high clinical suspicion is needed when urine organic acids analysis is not available.