Acute hyperlipidemic pancreatitis in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatitis in pregnancy remains a rare event and is most often associated with gallstone disease. Hyperlipidemic gestational pancreatitis usually occurs in women with a preexisting abnormality of the lipid metabolism and poses particular problems in diagnosis and clinical management.

CASES: We describe 5 patients with acute episodes of pancreatitis during pregnancy caused by hyperlipidemia.

CONCLUSION: Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy causes significant morbidity. Even though it is often associated with gallstones, we describe 5 cases in which the etiology of the pancreatitis was maternal hyperlipidemia. Etiology, diagnosis, and management will be discussed.