Estrogen-related pancreatitis in the setting of normal plasma lipids: case report.

A case of recurrent acute pancreatitis occurring in conjunction with intermittently used estrogen therapy over 7 years is presented. Estrogens have been associated with pancreatitis in the past, and a causal link involving elevated plasma triglyceride levels has usually been assumed. The current case is distinct in that the plasma lipids of this patient have always been normal, suggesting that a different mechanism must be responsible for the onset of pancreatitis.