Abstract Acute pancreatitis and eruptive xanthomas are the only recognised direct complications of severeypertriglyceridaemia. We present the case of a 33-years old male patient in whom the onset of a
type 2 diabetes, added to an unknown familial hyperlipidemia, precipitated a dramatic raise of serum
triglyceride levels, that cause in turn an acute pancreatitis and the appearance of dermic eruptive
xanthomas.