Hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis associated with confounding laboratory abnormalities

Abstract

We present the case of a 36-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with epigastric abdominal pain and tenderness. Laboratory evaluation identified high lipase, normal amylase, pseudohyponatremia, and relatively falsely low triglyceride levels (initial value of 2,329 mg/dl which on repeat was found to have corrected value of >10,000 mg/dl). The overall clinical picture was consistent with acute pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia. The patient was commenced on IV insulin and eventually required plasmapheresis with good clinical outcome. This case highlights the importance of being cognizant of falsely low amylase and TG levels that can be present in patients with hypertriglycereidemic pancreatitis.