Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Cocaine Intoxication: A Case Series

TL;DR

This paper presents cases of acute pancreatitis linked to cocaine use, highlighting it as a possible cause when common factors are absent.

Contribution

The paper adds to the understanding of cocaine as a rare but plausible cause of acute pancreatitis.

Findings

Cocaine use was associated with acute pancreatitis in some patients without common risk factors.

Drug-induced pancreatitis should be considered in cases with no clear cause.

The study emphasizes the need to evaluate drug use in idiopathic pancreatitis cases.

Abstract

Gallstones, alcohol use, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercalcemia have been considered the most common causes of acute pancreatitis; however, about 20% of the cases remain idiopathic since no definite cause can be established. It has been noticed that there is a small number of patients who have presented to the hospital with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis who have concurrently been using cocaine yet have no recent alcohol use and no gallstones. The purpose of this series of case reports is to review the evidence behind the association between cocaine and pancreatitis. In most of the cases, the etiology of acute pancreatitis is usually straightforward. However, when faced with a patient who has acute pancreatitis but lacks the common causes such as alcoholism, gallstones, normal triglyceride levels, and no evidence of malignancy, it seems reasonable to consider drugs as a potential cause for pancreatitis.