Use of Plasmapheresis: Acute Pancreatitis Due to Hypertriglyceridemia: Case Report

Hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (PATG) is described as an uncommon cause with an incidence that ranges from 2 to 4% of cases, generates significant morbidity and mortality between 40 per 100,000 inhabitants in a western population [1,2].There are several pathophysiological mechanisms that explain the appearance of pancreatitis caused by hypertriglyceridemia, one of them is the direct toxic role of free fatty acids on pancreatic tissue and another widely accepted mechanism is chylomicron-mediated vascular obstruction, given the decrease in the gene expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) [3].The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) indicates the use of plamapheresis when there is severe pancreatitis, when triglyceride levels exceed more than 2000 mg/dl and when there is no satisfactory response to first-line treatment; the success of the treatment is based on a decrease in triglycerides below 500 mg/ dl to achieve the goal of using plasmapheresis [4].In this case, it was demonstrated that the timely assessment of the patient was essential to make treatment decisions in the appropriate time with a favorable response to it.