Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Hypertriglyceridemia: Case Report and Review of the Literature

A patient with acute pancreatitis was admitted to our Intensive Care Unit due to arterial hypotension and hypoxemia that responded to fluid resuscitation and supplemental oxygen; the blood chemistries revealed extremely elevate triglycerides and cholesterol levels. A therapeutic plasma exchange was performed on an emergency basis and determined their sharp decrease. The patient was transferred to a regular ward 6 days later, and a CT-scan obtained after one more week at demonstrated a large pseudocyst even if the patient remained asymptomatic and was discharged home to be followed in an outpatient clinic.