Acute Pancreatitis in a Cohort of 129 Patients Referred for Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess retrospectively the prevalence and the predictive factors of acute pancreatitis (AP) in a population of patients referred in our endocrinology department for evaluation of very high triglyceride (TG) levels. One hundred twenty-nine patients (119 with type IV phenotypes and 10 with type V phenotypes according to Fredrickson's classification) were referred to our hospital between 2000 and 2005. Twenty-six subjects (20.2% of the population) presented with AP. This population was significantly younger at diagnosis of hyperlipidemia (32 vs 40 years, P 150 mg/L, or Balthazar score >C) was observed in 71.5% of the patients. Twenty percent of patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia experience at least 1 attack of AP. Pancreatitis seems to occur in young patients at higher levels of TG than previously thought (85% of patients >30 g/L) and is associated with a severe clinical course.