title: Plasma exchange treatment for acute hyperlipidemic pancreatitis with falsely low levels of serum triglycerides - a case report.
abstract: Hypertriglyceridemia is a well-recognized cause of acute pancreatitis. We present a patient with acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis. At presentation serum triglycerides were severely elevated (104 mmol/l) and were decreasing the next day (11 mmol/l). However, based on increasing levels of serum lipase, worsening respiratory failure and evidently lipemic serum, we decided to perform plasma exchange, and patient's condition improved dramatically. Repeated laboratory test of the serum obtained before the first plasma exchange revealed that the actual value of serum triglycerides was 57 mmol/l. A clinically-driven decision is crucial when treating patients with hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis as the serum triglyceride levels can be falsely low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Intensive Medicine, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markota
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia. Electronic address: masaknehtl@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knehtl
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Intensive Medicine, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinkovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Dialysis, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ekart
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hojs
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bevc
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D008049:Lipase
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Plasma exchange; Serum triglycerides