Necrotizing acute pancreatitis following therapeutic plasmapheresis in HCV-related cryoglobulinemia

Mixed cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C virus infection are strongly connected and the therapeutic approach is standardized according to the severity of the symptoms. We report the difficult management of 59 year old female HCV patient presenting cutaneous lesions and arthralgia due to mixed cryoglobulinemia. No therapy was able to achieve a complete remission and during the six years of active disease we observed several clinical recurrences. The intensive plasmapheresis regimen led to a complete remission of the symptoms but it was associated with severe complications. In this case report we describe an episode of acute necrotizing pancreatitis due to intravascular haemolysis following therapeutic plasmapheresis. To the best of our knowledge the association between plasma- pheresis and acute pancreatitis has not been previously described. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2011, 74, 355-358).