Acute pancreatitis associated with multibacillary polychemotherapy for leprosy

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease associated with abdominal pain and elevated serum pancreatic enzymes. The most common etiologies are gallstones and alcoholism. Drug-induced AP is quite rare, lacks a solid understanding and has been occasionally reported. The diagnosis requires a great suspicion and a careful exclusion of other causes. We present a case of a 37-year-old man, previously diagnosed with leprosy that developed acute pancreatitis after starting the multibacillary polychemotherapy (PCT/MB). After a month of treatment and the discontinuation of the PCT/MB, the therapy was restarted and a new episode of AP occurred. Three months after this last episode, the PCT/MB was reintroduced, changing one of the medications and the patient had no recurrence of AP or other reactions. Therefore, it is important to take into account that there is a risk of acute pancreatitis in patients on multidrug therapy (MDT) for leprosy.