| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
Noninvasive testing options to optimize compliance
Diagnosis and monitoring of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Stool testing is a critical component of diagnosing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), and Mayo Clinic Laboratories offers several tests to help clinicians evaluate these patients. A 48- or 72-hour stool fecal fat test is useful for determining the presence of steatorrhea, which indicates malabsorption disorders like EPI.
Because many patients find this process cumbersome and difficult to tolerate, which can impact compliance, Mayo Clinic Laboratories also offers an alternative approach to fecal fat testing called pancreatic elastase testing (frequently called fecal elastase). Requiring only a single stool collection, pancreatic elastase testing measures the level of the elastase enzyme within stool, enabling clinicians to identify whether a patient’s enzyme is at the appropriate level for digestion and maintaining adequate pancreatic function.
Pancreatic elastase testing can be extremely useful for:
Monitoring of exocrine pancreatic function in cystic fibrosis, diabetes mellitus, or chronic pancreatitis.
Diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cases of:
Key testing
ELASF | Pancreatic Elastase, Feces
Pancreatic Elastase
Puanani Hopson, D.O., a Mayo Clinic pediatric gastroenterologist, explains the pancreatic elastase test — a screening test that can be useful when symptoms point to the possibility of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Dr. Hopson reviews when this test should be ordered, how it compares to other test options, and how its results can guide further evaluation.
Genetic testing to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis of familial or hereditary pancreatitis
Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is defined as two or more individuals in a family affected with pancreatitis involving at least two generations. Mutations in several genes, including PRSS1, CFTR, CTRC, and SPINK1, have demonstrated genetic susceptibility to chronic pancreatitis.
Genetic testing can confirm suspected clinical diagnosis of familial or hereditary pancreatitis in patients with chronic pancreatitis; identify gene mutations contributing to pancreatitis in an individual family; and allow for predictive and diagnostic testing in family members.