Acute pancreatitis due to pravastatin therapy.
BACKGROUND
Few data exist about the incidence of drug-induced pancreatitis in the general population. Drugs are related to the etiology of pancreatitis in about 1.4-2% of cases. Statins are generally well tolerated. Acute pancreatitis has been reported in a few cases treated with atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin and simvastatin.


METHODS
We report the case of a 56-year-old patient who, after 6 months of treatment with pravastatin 20 mg once daily for hypercholesterolemia, presented with acute pancreatitis. Other causes of the disease were ruled out. Five months later, the patient, on his own initiative, reintroduced pravastatin and acute pancreatitis recurred after 3 days.


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge this is the first report of pravastatin-induced pancreatitis and further strengthens the fact that statins may cause acute pancreatitis.
Gastroenterology Department, 251 Hellenic Air Force and Veterans General Hospital, Athens, Greece. gkanagnostopoulos@yahoo.gr
George K
GK
Anagnostopoulos
Stavros
S
Tsiakos
George
G
Margantinis
Panagiotis
P
Kostopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Arvanitidis
D000208:Acute Disease; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D017035:Pravastatin