Exocrine pancreatic function, fecal fat, and blood glucose in patients with pancreatitis.

Exocrine pancreatic function, as revealed by bicarbonate output after secretion stimulation and trypsin output after CCK stimulation, fecal fat excretion, and glucose tolerance were studied in 40 patients with pancreatitis. A high fecal fat excretion and an abnormal glucose tolerance were found in about three quarters of the patients with markedly reduced bicarbonate output (less than 0.15 mmol . h-1 . kg-1). Normal fecal fat excretion was observed in five of six and normal glucose tolerance in all patients who had a normal bicarbonate output (greater than 0.30 mmol . h-1 . kg-1). All of the patients with abnormal glucose tolerance had impaired bicarbonate output. The trypsin output after CCK stimulation was not more closely related either to the fecal fat excretion or to the glucose tolerance.