Introduction
Hypertriglyceridemia is a common metabolic disorder encountered in
clinical practice, characterized by elevated serum triglyceride (TG)
levels. The widely accepted normal range of fasting triglyceride is less
than 150 mg/dl. (1) (2) When TG levels rise beyond
1000 mg/dL, the risk of acute pancreatitis increases markedly, making
hypertriglyceridemia the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis(1) The complete understanding of how increased
triglyceride levels result in acute pancreatitis remains unclear.
It has been hypothesized that the elevated levels of triglyceride-rich
lipoproteins interacting with pancreatic lipase in the pancreatic
capillaries cause the breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids
and phospholipids to lysophosphatidylcholine. (3)Additionally, the hydrolysis of triglycerides by lipase induces the
generation of toxic levels of free fatty acids and glycerol, thereby
damaging the acini and capillaries precipitating edema and hemorrhage.(4) Acute pancreatitis is one of the leading causes of
hospitalization among gastrointestinal diseases. Although its diagnosis
is simple, the major challenge lies in predicting its progression and
outcome. (5)
The clinical diagnosis relies on a combination of history taking,
physical examination, and laboratory investigation. Abdominal pain
radiating to the back, as well as high serum and urine levels of
amylase, point toward acute pancreatitis. (6) The
annual incidence of acute pancreatitis varies from 15.9 to 36.4 per
100,000 individuals, with its burden on healthcare resource utilization
expected to rise shortly. Despite advancements in healthcare access,
imaging tools, and treatments, acute pancreatitis continues to have
significant morbidity and mortality. The overall mortality rate varies
from 5% to 17% in severe cases and is about 1.5% in mild cases.(7) Herein, we report a rare case of a 26-year-old,
para-2, living-2 (P2L2) female with acute pancreatitis caused by
moderate triglyceridemia with a triglyceride level of 579 mg/dl.