[Steatorrhea and its treatment with pancreatic enzymes in endocrine tumors of the pancreas (pancreatic adenomas)].

We report the treatment of steatorrhea with pancreatic enzymes in four pancreatic endocrine tumors treated in our hospital. All four patients were males, with a mean age of 50 +/- 4.6, a basal steatorrhea of 10.8 +/- 3.7 g/24 h (N: less than 5 g/24 h), and a defecation rate of 1.8 +/- 0.8 (mean +/- SD). They were treated for one week with Pankreon 700 in the form of pills of 700 mg pancreatin (28,000 U lipase PIF, 22,000 U amylase PIF and 1,500 U protease PIF). They were given 15 pills/day divided into three doses. The mean steatorrhea dropped to 7.1 +/- 1.5 g/24 h. Then the patients were given Creon capsules with 300 mg pancreatin in pellets (8,000 U lipase PIF, 9,000 U amylase PIF and 450 U protease PIF). They were given six capsules/day divided into three doses, and the steatorrhea dropped to 7.2 +/- 4.1 g/24 h, while the rate of defecation dropped to 1/day. On comparison of the two products (Pankreon-- a classic form of pancreatin, and Creon-- a modern galenical in pellets), it was found that Creon achieved the same results as Pankreon 700 in a doses 2.5 times lower. This pilot study demonstrates that exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can be frequent in endocrine tumors of the pancreas, and although underestimated, it can be partially corrected with pancreatic enzymes.