Acute Pancreatitis Following Ingestion of High Dose Garcinia Cambogia

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is a systemic inflammatory condition carrying significant morbidity and mortality. Garcinia cambogia (GC) has been recently deduced as a rare cause of this condition. A 22-year-old female presented with epigastric pain, nausea and systemic unrest. Her amylase was elevated and had high inflammatory markers. CECT abdomen revealed necrotizing acute pancreatitis. After receiving in-hospital care for two weeks, she made a complete recovery. She had consumed large doses of GC as a weight loss supplement for several months preceding. After excluding other causes of pancreatitis, GC was identified as the possible cause. Acute pancreatitis due to GC is a rare entity with only a handful of cases reported. Large doses of GC are thought to induce oxidative damage in the pancreas causing inflammation. Current evidence for its causal nature is based on history and deduction only. Further research is needed to confirm GC as a cause of pancreatitis.