[Salivary and duodenal amylase production in patients with chronic hepatic diseases (author's transl)].

Investigating patients with chronic diseases of the liver, there will sometimes be found a symmetric hypertrophy of the parotid glands. Supposing, that enlargement of the parotid glands could equal an enhancement of parotid function, the authors investigated amylase and volume production of the parotid glands and at the same time that produced by pancreatic excretion during pancreozymin/secretin stimulation. They found a compensatory action of the parotidean function: In patients with only small liver cell damage they saw a diminished parotidean function together with an enhanced pancreatic excretion. In cases with severe liver cell alteration, the parotidean function was found to be greater than in normals, the pancreatic function diminished. The authors estimate the parotidean hypertrophy as a morphologic equivalent to the compensatory enhancement of parotidean function in cases with chronic liver diseases.