Severe acute pancreatitis and toxic hepatitis after solitary dietary supplement ingestion: A case report
Yeonwoo Kim, Woo Young NhoRationale:
Although many products have been approved for weight loss, their efficacy remains debatable owing to the insufficient scientific evidence in the relevant literature. Furthermore, because of the limited clinical data and research, the adverse effects of these products remain unelucidated.
Patient concerns:
A 36-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with generalized weakness. She had a personal history of undergoing weight reduction trials several times. For 2 weeks, she ingested only water and dietary supplements containing green tea catechin and no other food or drugs.
Diagnoses:
Laboratory examination results indicated highly elevated liver and pancreatic enzyme levels. Radiological examinations indicated severe acute pancreatitis and the possibility of severe fatty liver or toxic hepatitis. Furthermore, she was clinically diagnosed with substance-induced acute pancreatitis and was suspected to have concomitant toxic hepatitis.
Interventions:
Intensive medical therapy was started, including intravenous hydration, prophylactic antibiotics, and nutritional balance, along with psychiatric support. With adequate management, both clinical manifestations and laboratory results improved.
Outcomes:
Finally, she was discharged 15 days after admission without any obvious complications.
Lessons:
Most of the adverse events reported to be associated with catechin are related to the gastrointestinal tract and particularly lead to hepatic injury. Interestingly, catechin is known for its protective effects on the pancreas. This report highlights the possibility of catechin-induced pancreatitis, in contrast to the generally accepted protective effects on the pancreas.