ETIOLOGY OF PANCREATITIS
The most common causes of acute pancreatitis in the US are alcohol use and gallstones, but marked hypertriglyceridemia, as seen in this case, is a well-recognized cause. It is generally thought that only a serum triglyceride concentration >1000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L) can cause pancreatitis . Thus, the triglyceride concentrations are markedly high in these patients, and should not be confused with the mild hyperlipidemia seen in approximately 50% of patients with acute pancreatitis of any cause . Mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia in acute pancreatitis is more common than pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia. Furthermore, patients with a moderate hypertriglyceridemia may acutely have markedly increased triglycerides and pancreatitis following ingestion of certain medications or alcohol. The pathophysiology of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis is not completely understood . Amylase and lipase activities may be within RIs in those pancreatitis patients who have hypertriglyceridemia.