A 55-year-old white woman has had recurrent episodes of alcohol-induced pancreatitis. Despite abstinence, the patient develops postprandial abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss despite good appetite, and bulky, foul-smelling stools. Kidney, ureter, bladder (KUB) x-ray shows pancreatic calcifications. In this patient, you should expect to find which of the following?
Correct Answer: Diabetes mellitus
Description: Chronic pancreatitis is caused by pancreatic damage from repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis. The classic triad is abdominal pain, malabsorption, and diabetes mellitus. Pancreatic calcifications are frequently seen on abdominal x-rays. Twenty-five percent of cases are idiopathic. Vitamins D and K are absorbed intact from the intestine without digestion by lipase and are therefore absorbed normally in pancreatic insufficiency. Forty percent of patients, however, develop B12 deficiency. Treatment of the malabsorption with pancreatic enzyme replacement will lead to weight gain, but the pain can be difficult to treat. Courvoisier sign is a palpable, nontender gallbladder in a jaundiced patient. This finding suggests the presence of a malignancy, usually pancreatic cancer. Chronic pancreatitis per se does not produce heme-positive stools. Amylase is usually normal in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Category:
Medicine
Get More
Subject Mock Tests
Practice with over 200,000 questions from various medical subjects and improve your knowledge.
Attempt a mock test nowMock Exam
Take an exam with 100 random questions selected from all subjects to test your knowledge.
Coming SoonGet More
Subject Mock Tests
Try practicing mock tests with over 200,000 questions from various medical subjects.
Attempt a mock test now