Hypertriglyceridaemia; a rare cause for severe acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a common cause for acute abdominal pain. Its aetiology is multifactorial with gallstone disease and alcohol abuse being common causative factors. Hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) is a rare yet well known cause for acute pancreatitis. HTG pancreatitis (HTGP) is associated with severe multi-organ involvement increasing the morbidity and mortality. Prompt lipid lowering therapy and multi-organ support in intensive care is essential for such patients to achieve a good outcome. However, randomised clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of specific lipid lowering measures for HTGP is lacking due to its relative rarity.