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Methimazole-induced acute pancreatitis: a case report

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Abstract

A 76-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and was administered methimazole (MMI) 10 mg and potassium iodide 50 mg. After 19 days of the drug regime, she developed high-grade fever and nausea and was admitted to our hospital. Blood test results showed elevated pancreatic enzymes and C-reactive protein levels. Abdominal computed tomography showed swollen pancreas, and she was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. These abnormalities improved after discontinuation of MMI. Five similar cases have been reported, but this is the first case report without abdominal pain. When acute pancreatitis is observed after the initiation of MMI, drug-induced pancreatitis should be considered as the possible etiology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Jikei University Hospital, 3-19-18, Nishishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Itsuka Kikuchi

  2. Department of Infectious Disease, Yokohama Municipal Citizen’s Hospital, 56 Okazawa-cho, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan

    Nobuyuki Miyata, Yukihiro Yoshimura & Natsuo Tachikawa

  3. Department of Endocrine Disease, Yokohama Municipal Citizen’s Hospital, 56 Okazawa-cho, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan

    Kazunori Miyamoto

Authors
  1. Itsuka Kikuchi
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  2. Nobuyuki Miyata
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  3. Yukihiro Yoshimura
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  4. Kazunori Miyamoto
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  5. Natsuo Tachikawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Itsuka Kikuchi.

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Itsuka Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Miyata, Yukihiro Yoshimura, Kazunori Miyamoto and Natuo Tachikawa declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Research involving human and/or animal rights

All procedures followed have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Kikuchi, I., Miyata, N., Yoshimura, Y. et al. Methimazole-induced acute pancreatitis: a case report. Clin J Gastroenterol 12, 239–242 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-018-0926-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-018-0926-5

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