Metformin-Induced Pancreatitis
A possible adverse drug effect during acute renal failure
- Filippo Luca Fimognari, MD12,
- Andrea Corsonello, MD3,
- Ruggero Pastorell, MD1 and
- Raffaele Antonelli-Incalzi, MD2
- 1Division of Internal Medicine, Leopoldo Parodi-Delfino Hospital, ALS Roma G, Colleferro, Rome, Italy
- 2Division of Geriatrics, University Campus Biomedico of Rome, Rome, Italy
- 3Division of Geriatrics, Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura dell’ Anziano, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Cosenza, Italy
- Address correspondence to Dr. Filippo L. Fimognari, Centro per la Salute dell’Anziano, University Campus Biomedico of Rome, Via dei Compositori 130, 00128, Rome, Italy. E-mail: filippo.fimognari{at}virgilio.it
About 2% of episodes of acute pancreatitis are caused by drugs (1). Phenformin was repeatedly associated with acute pancreatitis (1), but only two case reports highlighted a possible causative role for metformin (2,3). In one case, acute pancreatitis occurred for the coexistence of correct metformin treatment and acute renal failure (2); in the other, metformin overdose was deemed responsible (3).
A 61-year-old woman with diabetes and hypercholesterolemia presented after 5 days of vomiting, followed by oliguria and epigastric pain. At home, the therapy of 3 …
