Exocrine pancreatic function in chronic alcoholics in Austria
Pointner, H.; Flegel, U.; Bayer, P.M.; Czembirek, H.; Kryspin-Exner, K.
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 89(13): 452-455
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-5325 PMID: 878490 Document Number: 116940
Of 97 chronic alcoholics 31 to 59 years old, 83 of them men, from different parts of Austria, 7 had chronic calcifying pancreatitis. For the 45, all men, studied further during the first week of abstinence, average daily alcohol intake had been 174 plus or minus 102 g, with alcoholism lasting for 20 plus or minus 6 years. Over half had drunk mainly wine, followed by beer and, for 10%, spirits. Liver biopsy on 40 showed no cirrhosis, but usually steatosis and fibrosis; no liver was histologically normal. Of the 30 given a secretin-pancreozymin test, 14 had normal results, 8 pancreatic insufficiency and 8 hypersecretion. Of the 7 with calcifying pancreatitis, 2 each had greatly or slightly reduced and 1 excessive secretion and the 2 others were not tested. In 10 patients not given the test because of gastric resection by Billroth II operation, average daily faecal fat was 5.3 plus or minus 3.1 g; none had steatorrhoea.