Lipemic serum in hyperlipidemic pancreatitis

Background: A 37 year-old man presented to the emergency department complaining of six hour diffuse abdominal pain accompanied by persistent vomiting. Case report: The patient had a heavy meal a few hours before. There were no signs of peritonitis. Routine laboratory examinations revealed leukocytosis, hyperglycemia and hyperamylasemia (serum amylase: 380 mg/dl, urinary amylase: 1150 mg/dl). Conclusion: The lipid profile revealed an impressive elevation of triglycerides (4800 mg/dl) and cholesterol (1009 mg/dl) levels. The serum was extremely lipemic. The abdomen computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatitis.