An Uncommon Cause of Left Abdominal Pain in a Young Adult

Abstract

Question: A 18-year-old female (1.73 m; 52 kg; body mass index of 17 kg/m2) presented to the emergency department with fatigue and acute left abdominal pain. She reported no alcohol consumption or tobacco smoking, and no history of diabetes mellitus. She had suffered from recurrent mild abdominal pain exacerbated by oral intake for 18 months, resulting in a weight loss of 10 kg. Abdominal examination revealed tenderness in the left hypochondrium. She had no fever. Laboratory test results showed serum lipase 2 times the upper limit of normal.