Diagnosing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can be vexing to clinicians, but missing it may deprive patients of access to effective, lifesaving therapies, according to Dr David Whitcomb.
Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Physician, Department of Medicine / Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Underdiagnosis is a problem because the patients may not only have unexpected weight loss, but have deficiencies in key fat-soluble D vitamins and vitamin B12.Another problem is overdiagnosis when the diagnosis is based on symptoms alone or a false-positive human fecal elastase test when it's taken on a liquid stool.
Other diagnostic tests are available, such as fecal fat testing, diagnostic trial of PERT , breath test, direct testing with an endoscope, or abdominal imaging, but these are not accurate and they're not recommended. Multiple vitamins and antioxidants are very important, and they can minimize deficiencies. One needs to track the patient's weight and levels of fat-soluble vitamin in the blood.
EPI - Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Pancreatitis Diet Vitamins Pancreas Celiac Disease Celiac Sprue Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy Sprue Coeliac Disease Coeliac Sprue Chronic Pancreatitis Bloating Abdominal Bloating Abdominal Pain Abdominal Imaging Study Pancreatic Surgery Fellowship Fellows Maldigestion Nutrition Pancreatic Disease Surgery Abdominal
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