Severe Hypertriglyceridemia Causing Pancreatitis in a Child with New-onset Type-I Diabetes Mellitus Presenting with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Abstract

Around 25% of newly diagnosed diabetic children present with diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset. Severe hypertriglyceridemia (triglyceride [TG] >1000 mg/dL) is another rare complication of ketoacidosis which increases the risk of acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis attributable to hypertriglyceridemia was seen in 4% of diabetic ketoacidosis episodes in adults. However, the triad of acute pancreatitis caused by hypertriglyceridemia, along with diabetic ketoacidosis and its treatment, has not been extensively discussed in the pediatric literature. Only eight cases have been reported previously. We report the youngest child with the triad of severe hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, and diabetic ketoacidosis.