Pancreatitis associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a matched case-control study

To determine the frequency of pancreatitis and to define risk factors for pancreatitis in patients with AIDS, we compared patients with pancreatitis to patients without pancreatitis in an urban infectious disease practice. Pancreatitis was defined as at least one clinical sign or symptom (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or tenderness) accompanied by elevation of serum amylase or lipase. Twenty-four (22%) of 105 patients with AIDS, 2 (4%) of 46 patients with AIDS-related complex, 1 (3%) of 39 asymptomatic patients infected with HIV-1, and none of 9 uninfected patients at risk for HIV-1 developed pancreatitis as defined above. Fourteen patients experienced multiple episodes and three were symptomatic for more than 2 months. Pancreatitis was more likely to have occurred in patients with AIDS (P < .001), biliary tract disease (P = .013), and hypertriglyceridemia (P = .032). After matching for these factors and duration of current HIV disease, cryptosporidiosis, intravenous pentamidine, and isoniazid were each associated independently with pancreatitis (P < .05). Before didanosine (ddl) became available, 22% of the patients with AIDS in this practice had pancreatitis. Cryptosporidiosis, isoniazid, and intravenous pentamidine should be considered among the potential etiologies.