Acute pancreatitis related to therapeutic dosing with colchicine: a case report

BACKGROUND: Colchicine is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of gout. It possesses a narrow therapeutic window, frequently resulting in dose-limiting gastrointestinal side-effects such as diarrhoea and emesis. As colchicine is a cellular anti-mitotic agent, the most serious effects include myelosuppression, myoneuropathy and multiple organ failure. This occurs with intentional overdose or with therapeutic dosing in patients with reduced clearance of colchicine due to pre-existing renal or hepatic impairment. Acute pancreatitis has rarely been reported, and only in association with severe colchicine overdose accompanied by multi-organ failure. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of acute pancreatitis without other organ toxicity related to recent commencement of colchicine for acute gout, occurring in an elderly male with pre-existing renal impairment. CONCLUSION: 1) Colchicine should be used with care in elderly patients or patients with impaired renal function. 2) Aside from myelosuppression, myoneuropathy and multiple organ failure, colchicine may now be associated with acute pancreatitis even with therapeutic dosing; this has not previously being reported.