J Korean Med Sci.  1999 Dec;14(6):679-681. 10.3346/jkms.1999.14.6.679.

Macroamylasemia in a patient with acute appendicitis: a case report

• Um JW
• Kim KH
• Kang MS
• Choe JH
• Bae JW
• Hong YS
• Suh SO
• Kim YC
• Whang CW
• Kim SM

• KMID: 646047
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.1999.14.6.679

Abstract

Macroamylasemia is a condition of persistent, elevated serum amylase activity with no apparent clinical symptoms of a pancreatic disorder. In Korea, however, no such case has been reported to date. We report a case of a 17-year-old female diagnosed with macroamylasemia and acute appendicitis. One day earlier, she developed epigastric and right lower quadrant abdominal pain. She was characterized by high level of serum amylase, but normal lipase. Amylase isoenzyme analysis demonstrated increased fraction of salivary type and follow-up amylase level was persistently increased. Immunofixation disclosed the macroamylase binding with an immunoglobulin, consisting of IgA and kappa chain. The patient was treated by appendectomy, and the abdominal pain subsided.

Keyword

Amylases; Appendicitis

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Amylases/blood*
Appendectomy
Appendicitis/enzymology
Appendicitis/blood*
Case Report
Female
Human
IgA/blood
Immunoglobulins, kappa-Chain/blood
Isoenzymes/blood
Protein Binding