Incidence and clinical features of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis from Guangdong, China: a retrospective multicenter study

This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and incidence trends of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) of multicenter studies in Guangdong, China, for 15 years. The medical records of 1582 patients with acute pancreatitis who were admitted to 4 general hospitals of Guangdong from January 1990 to December 2005 were reviewed. The inpatient medical and radiologic records were reviewed to determine clinical features, severity, complications, mortality, and recurrence rate. A total of 7.8% (123/1582) patients met the HLAP criteria. Incidence of HLAP was approximately 2.6 times increased during 15 years (3.4% in 1990-1994, 5.9% in 1995-1999, and 8.9% in 2000-2005, respectively) and ranged from 3.3% to 15.5% in 4 hospitals across Guangdong. A history of diabetes was present in 31.7% and alcohol use in 18.7%. The mean (SD) triglyceride levels were 13.6 (7.2) mmol/L. Amylase was elevated higher than normal in 81.2% but only 2 times normal in 17.1% and 3 times normal in 37.6%. The frequency of severe acute pancreatitis, organ dysfunction, rate of recurrence, and mortality of HLAP was significantly higher than biliary-induced pancreatitis. The incidence of HLAP had significantly increased during the past 15 years with a clear geographic variation and remarkable severity and recurrent trend.