[Maldigestion during chronic pancreatitis].

During chronic pancreatitis exocrine pancreatic insufficiency develops leading to a loss of pancreatic enzymes in the duodenum, especially pancreatic lipase. As a result, lipid maldigestion occurs (on a clinical standpoint it is more serious than proteic maldigestion) responsible for greasy diarrhoea with steatorrhoea and abdominal discomfort. Stearorrhoea is diagnosed thanks to a direct measurement of the total lipid content in the stool rather than indirect test. The pancreatic origin of the steatorrhoea is demonstrated in view of the clinical history of the disease, the normal duodenal biopsy specimen or by imaging or biological testing. Steatorrhoea is treated by pancreatic extract given as a form of enteric coated microcapsules (which are protected from proteolitic and acidic digestion) together with some dietary advises.