Cocaine-Induced Acute Pancreatitis: A Rare Etiology

Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Cocaine Intoxication: A Case Series

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.

Acute pancreatitis secondary to cocaine use: a case-based systematic literature review

Cocaine use continues to be an important global public health problem. As the use of cocaine remains pervasive so have a myriad of adverse events associated with this drug. These deleterious effects are well-studied, but gastrointestinal complications remain esoteric and the existing clinical evidence is scarce. Ischemia of the esophagus and small bowel, perforation, peptic ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding, and ischemic colitis are among the reported complications. In specific, acute pancreatitis secondary to cocaine use is an exceedingly rare clinicopathologic entity. To date, only 7 cases of this condition have been reported in the English-language literature. We hereby delineate a rare case of a 29-year-old female who developed her first episode of cocaine-associated pancreatitis. The diagnosis was made based on a standard battery of investigations and meticulous exclusion of common etiologies of acute pancreatitis. To our knowledge, this case represents the first report of re-occurrence of acute pancreatitis upon subsequent crack cocaine insufflation, adding a higher level of evidence to a fallible association. We also present a systematic review of the existing literature on acute pancreatitis following cocaine use. An updated knowledge regarding this rare association is of paramount importance for early diagnosis and astute management.