title: Elevated lipase and diabetic ketoacidosis associated with aripiprazole.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atypical antipsychotic agents are associated with diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis. Aripiprazole, a new antipsychotic, has never been implicated to cause either diabetes mellitus or pancreatitis. We present a patient who developed diabetes mellitus after being started on aripiprazole.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 33 year-old male with schizophrenia presented with fatigue, dyspepsia and epigastric pain. Patient was found to have hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperlipasemia. Imaging studies of the pancreas were normal. Patient was started on aripiprazole treatment 18 months prior to this episode and had experienced progressive weight gain since then. Work up for other causes of pancreatitis was negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes mellitus in this patient was probably a complication of aripiprazole due to progressive weight gain. In the absence of radiologic evidence of pancreatitis, hyperlipasemia was probably secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis. Possible causes of hyperlipasemia and its significance in diabetic ketoacidosis are discussed.
authors: Department of Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71115, USA.
authors: Savio
authors: S
authors: Reddymasu
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: Bahta
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Levine
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Manas
authors: Larry E
authors: LE
authors: Slay