| Abstract: | A prospective study was begun in 1969 to investigate the relationship between hyperlipoproteinemia and pancreatitis. Ten patients were observed at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital. All had discrete, recurrent, acute pancreatitis with typical pain, hyper-amylasemia and hypertriglyceridemia during the acute phase, but without biliary tract disease or alcoholism. Acute pancreatitis usually occurred when serum triglyceride levels were above 1,000 mg/100 ml. In all patients during the acute phases, chylomicronemia and prebeta lipoproteinemia were present; serum cholesterol levels were normal or slightly elevated. Lipoprotein electrophoretic patterns were similar to the type V pattern described by Fredrickson. Serum lipids became normal in five patients given low fat diets (10 to 15 g/day), and they had no further abdominal pain; three others had satisfactory, but not complete remissions on diet therapy. Two others continued to have recurrent abdominal pain.It is concluded that the most consistent feature of one kind of pancreatitis is hyperlipoproteinemia with chylomicronemia. This condition probably occurs more frequently than has been previously recognized. Because of the favorable response to a low fat diet, this kind of pancreatitis can be treated adequately and further recurrence prevented. |
