Early Plasmapheresis for Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis Related to Hypertriglyceridemia

Acute pancreatitis is characterized by a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. Hypertriglyceridemia is an important but usually unnoticed, relatively rare cause of acute non-biliary pancreatitis. Apheresis is mostly an option for hyperlipidemic cases failing to respond to conservative therapy. This study reports a case of acute necrotizing pancreatitis with a medical history of type I hyperlipidemia and recurrent attacks of pancreatitis for which early plasmapheresis was performed.