Published online Aug 6, 2014. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i3.191
Revised: June 20, 2014
Accepted: June 27, 2014
Published online: August 6, 2014
Statin induced pancreatitis has historically been considered a diagnosis of exclusion, with literature references typically in the form of case reports and observational studies. Recently, larger studies have challenged the correlations made by earlier case reports, and instead demonstrate a mild protective effect in statin users. We present a case report of likely statin induced pancreatitis in a 58-year-old male (which we have attributed to drug-drug interaction with resulting inhibition of hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes) and have reviewed the apparent dichotomy in the available literature.
Core tip: Statins may reduce the risk of developing an acute episode of pancreatitis through anti-inflammatory perturbation of the systemic inflammatory response pathway. However, it appears that these drugs may also carry a concomitant long-term risk of pancreatitis through a buildup of toxic metabolite/s.