A case of acute pancreatitis: could this be caused by dermal filler injections?

The use of dermal fillers is increasingly common. Side effects associated with their use are usually limited to local reactions. Acute pancreatitis is also a common condition with a wide range of aetiologies. To date, no potential associations between acute pancreatitis and dermal filler injections have been reported. A 58-year-old lady was admitted with an acute onset of epigastric pain and vomiting. She was diagnosed with acute severe pancreatitis. No cause could be found for her pancreatitis. She did, however, have dermal filler injection 24 hours previous to her initial symptoms. Causality is difficult to prove beyond doubt in the present isolated case report. However, given the exponential rise in accessible and affordable cosmetic procedures such as dermal filler injections such case reporting is necessary to establish whether such associations truly exist and to examine underlying mechanisms.