Abstract
Drs. Kafka and Kaiser remind us that the symptoms and metabolic consequences of primary pancreatic disease may not suggest the correct diagnosis. Serum amylase levels are elevated in disorders other than pancreatitis, while these elevations are not always seen in acute pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is still a clinical management problem.
Earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer may be facilitated by the technical advances being made in serology, angiography, and endoscopy. Ductograms obtained by means of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography now permit direct study of the pancreatic ducts. Secretin stimulation may facilitate the simultaneous collection of ductal secretions and their cytologic study.—AR