A Rare Cause of Hyperamylasemia: Macroamylasemia

• Published in: Meandros medical and dental journal Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 58 - 60
• Main Authors: Coşkun, Adil, Çetin, Deniz, Yaşa, M. Hadi, Karaoğlu, A. Önder
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi 01-04-2017; Galenos Publishing House
• Subjects: Abdomen; Celiac disease; Enzymes; Family medical history; Inflammatory bowel disease; Laboratories; Lipase; Lupus; Medical imaging; Otolaryngology; Pain; Pancreatitis; Patients; Rheumatoid arthritis; Salivary gland; Tıp; Ultrasonic imaging; Urine; Aydın; Abdominal pain; Karın ağrısı; macroamylasemia; hiperamilazemi; hyperamylasemia; makroamilazemi
• ISSN: 2149-9063; 2149-9063
• DOI: 10.4274/meandros.1893

Elevated serum amylase activity is commonly seen in acute pancreatitis and salivary gland inflammation, but also rarely seen in a benign phenomenon, macroamylasemia, that does not require treatment. Hyperamylasemia is a laboratory finding that may cause diagnostic failure occasionally in patients presenting with abdominal pain. Elevated serum amylase levels and abdominal pain may lead to misdiagnosis as acute pancreatitis in macroamylasemic patients. Macroamylasemia should be considered in patients with abdominal pain and hyperamylasemia but without imaging findings of pancreatitis. Here, we present a patient with macroamylasemia who had abdominal pain and persistent hyperamylasemia. The patient had no complaints but persisting hyperamylasemia (450 U/L) and normal lipase activity at the follow-up outpatient visit three months later.