Abdominal Pain as the Manifestation of Chylomicronemia Syndrome During Pregnancy: A Challenging Diagnosis

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia is a frequent cause of acute pancreatitis. Levels higher than 1000 mg/dL are often associated with a genetic predisposition that can be aggravated by other factors such as pregnancy and poorly controlled diabetes.The authors report a 19-year-old primigravida that presented with abdominal pain, emesis and a pruritic rash, along with severely increased plasma triglyceride levels. Therapeutic plasmapheresis was proposed in the setting of a presumed acute pancreatitis.Chylomicronemia syndrome is a rare and frequently misdiagnosed pathology that can evolve with abdominal pain, vomiting and a specific cutaneous rash designated as eruptive xanthomatosis. This case report illustrates the challenges of achieving a correct diagnosis for rare conditions and corroborates the safety of plasmapheresis during pregnancy.

Assessing the Knowledge of Analgesic Drugs Utilization during Pregnancy among Women in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study that was conducted to evaluate the Saudi women’s knowledge about analgesic use in pregnant women. Pain is a common complaint during pregnancy, especially lower back pain and abdominal pain [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Pain can be relieved by analgesics or by nonpharmacological interventions [ 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”