Hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, and diabetic ketoacidosis possibly associated with mirtazapine therapy: a case report.

A 44-year-old woman with a history of major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder was prescribed mirtazapine. She came to the emergency department approximately 2 months after starting therapy; severe hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, and diabetic ketoacidosis were diagnosed. Although these adverse effects have been reported in early clinical trials, we found only three published cases of subclinical pancreatitis possibly associated with mirtazapine therapy. We suspect that mirtazapine-associated hypertriglyceridemia had contributed to the development of acute pancreatitis and diabetic ketoacidosis in our patient. All these problems resolved with supportive care and discontinuation of mirtazapine. Her serum amylase, lipase, and lipid levels were normal 2 months after the acute event occurred. Health care providers should be aware of these possible adverse effects. Serum glucose and triglyceride levels should be measured at baseline and monitored regularly thereafter in all patients receiving mirtazapine therapy.

Symptomatic central venous stenosis in a hemodialysis patient leading to loss of arteriovenous access: a case report and literature review.

Central venous stenosis is a well-described sequel to the placement of hemodialysis catheters in the central venous system. The presence of an ipsilateral arteriovenous fistula or graft often leads to severe venous dilatation, arm edema and recurrent infections. Vascular access thrombosis, compromised blood flow and inadequate dialysis delivery are dreaded complications that eventually render the access unusable. We report the case of a 58-year-old male hemodialysis patient who developed symptomatic central venous stenosis to illustrate the problem and review the pertinent literature. This patient developed severe enlargement of upper extremity veins due to central venous stenosis. The symptoms were refractory to multiple endovascular interventions and eventually necessitated ligation of his arteriovenous fistula. Central venous stenosis remains a pervasive problem despite advances in our understanding of its etiology and recognition of the enormity of its consequences. Due to the lack of effective therapeutic options, prevention is better than cure.