Minocycline-Induced Acute Pancreatitis With Cyst Formation in a Young Man

An 18-year-old male, diagnosed with urethritis and treated with minocycline for six days, presented to our hospital complaining of abdominal pain and nausea. Blood tests and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed severe acute pancreatitis. Based on his medical history, blood tests, and imaging studies, common etiologies of acute pancreatitis were excluded, including alcohol intake, anatomical abnormalities of the pancreas and biliary tract, stones, malignancy, autoimmune diseases, and lipid abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with drug-induced acute pancreatitis due to minocycline. Upon admission, minocycline was discontinued, and the patient was treated symptomatically. His symptoms improved steadily, and he was discharged on day 14 of hospitalization. A follow-up CT scan on day 8 of hospitalization revealed a 4-cm cyst at the pancreatic tail; however, since the patient was asymptomatic, he was monitored with imaging studies. The cyst gradually shrank and was no longer visible on a CT scan 12 weeks after discharge. Most cases of drug-induced acute pancreatitis caused by tetracycline have been reported as mild to moderate, and there are no documented cases of severe pancreatitis with cyst formation in the literature. This case illustrates that minocycline-induced acute pancreatitis can lead to severe pancreatitis and cyst formation, warranting careful use.