Hyperparathyroidism presenting as acute pancreatitis: Case Report of mortality

Background: Acute pancreatitis may be caused by a myriad of factors, hypercalcemia secondary to hyperparathyroidism, albeit is a rare cause of acute pancreatitis but not unheard of. If the underlying cause of acute pancreatitis is diagnosed, goal-directed management becomes possible, reducing morbidity and mortality. Though acute pancreatitis on its own presents significant mortality, hypercalcemia, especially detected late, augments this. Case Report: We report a case of acute pancreatitis secondary to hyperparathyroidism. The patient was undiagnosed at the time of admission and presented with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. After admission, he developed multi-organ dysfunction and was managed by intensive care. The patient died within hours of admission despite our best efforts. Diagnosis of acute pancreatitis secondary to hyperparathyroidism was suspected on the basis of hypercalcemia, confirmed by a posthumous result of a raised parathyroid hormone assay. Conclusion: When a patient is admitted in the emergency department with a suspicion of acute pancreatitis, serum calcium levels and its reporting should be expedited to as early as possible. Hypercalcemia in the setting of acute pancreatitis merits a multidisciplinary approach and expedited parathyroid hormone levels sent with a high suspicion of long standing untreated hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism is a cause of silent hypercalcemia and can be lethal if not diagnosed in time.