Two Cases of Rapidly Progressive Fatty Liver Disease due to Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency without a History of Surgery

Intern Med. 2023 Sep 15;62(18):2667-2673. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.0775-22. Epub 2023 Feb 8.

Abstract

We herein report two cases of rapidly progressive fatty liver (FL) disease due to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) without a surgical history. Two women, 59 and 72 years old, with no history of abdominal surgery presented to our hospital with severe anorexia and nausea persisting for one week. Examinations revealed progressive, marked FL disease with hepatomegaly and PEI, for which pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy was effective. Commonly known causes of PEI include chronic pancreatitis, abdominal surgery (e.g. pancreaticoduodenectomy), pancreatic cancer, and obstruction of the pancreatic duct, none of which were present in either of these two cases.

Keywords: fatty liver; hepatomegaly; pancreatic exocrine insufficiency; pancrelipase.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Enzyme Replacement Therapy
  • Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency* / complications
  • Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency* / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / complications
  • Pancreas
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / complications
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic*