Acute Pancreatitis by liposomal amphotericin B. Case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: The most frequently observed adverse reactions of a liposomal formulation of amphotericin B (LAB) on the first dose of fever and rigors are, hypokalemia and renal toxicity. Acute pancreatitis is not listed in the Summary of Product Characteristics of LAB, although some non-severe cases of pancreatitis toxicity after LAB are described in the literature. CASE SUMMARY: We present the case of an 88-year-old male with not known allergies and diagnosed with arterial hypertension and Grade III chronic kidney disease. One month before was admitted because of pneumonia, acute kidney injury, atrial fibrillation and pancytopenia; he was discharged on January 13, 2016, and two weeks later, he returned to the Urgency Department with severe deterioration of the general condition, fever, and a skin rash , these symptoms were attributed to a delayed allergic reaction to levofloxacin. During his first admission, he was treated with acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg, digoxin, metamizole, pantoprazole, valsartan/amlodipine. The Lab results showed pancytopenia .It was performed a bone marrow aspiration, suggesting a case of leishmaniasis. It was initiated intravenous treatment with LAB at 3 mg / kg / day. The first day of treatment, the patient showed a severe bronchospasm, exacerbation of the previous rash possibly caused by quinolones treatment, was treated with corticosteroids, antihistamines, aerosol therapy and oxygen therapy until full recovery. During the following days, LAB was administrated at a slow infusion rate and premedication with appropriate tolerance. On the fifth day of the treatment, the patient started with a diffuse abdominal pain, anorexia, and vomiting. The amylase lab result was 431 IU/L. An abdominal scanner showed edematous pancreatitis. After 48 hours the amylase and lipase lab values were normal. And the abdominal Scanner was repeated with no changes. The evolution of patient was aggravating until reaching multiple organs failure a few days later the patient died. CONCLUSION: We have described the first case report of pancreatitis LAB-induced resulting in death.