Triad of diabetic ketoacidosis-acute pancreatitis-hypertriglyceridaemia: interest of genetic exploration

A 16-year-old child with no medical history was admitted to the hospital emergency for abdominal pain associated with polyuria-polydipsia and weight loss (baseline BMI: 25,4 kg/m2). Diagnosis of severe ketoacidosis was quickly raised regarding major metabolic acidosis, high ketonemia and glycemia. Acute pancreatitis was then diagnosed according to a plasmatic lipase more than tenfold normal values associated with a severe hypertriglyceridemia superior to 100 mmol/L. The triad composed of diabetic ketoacidosis-acute pancreatitis-hypertriglyceridemia is rarely found in childhood and can have deleterious consequences. The etiology of this disease is still enigmatic, as one can be both, cause and consequence of the other. Genetic investigation of familial chylomicronemia legitimated to invalidate the dyslipidemia etiology of this event. On the other hand, the association of a genetic variant of lipoprotein lipase leading to a decrease in its activity, with the insulinopenia of type 1 diabetes most certainly triggered this episode of hypertriglyceridemia.