Exocrine pancreatic function in hepatic cirrhosis.

Exocrine pancreatic function was assessed by the standard test meal method of Lundh in a control group, and 13 patients with nonalcoholic, postnecrotic cirrhosis of the liver. In six of these patients, splenorenal shunts were performed and exocrine pancreatic function was assessed before and three months after operation. In three of the six, the secretin-pancreozymin stimulation test was also performed. An increased volume but normal trypsin output was observed in the unoperated cirrhotic patients. An increase both in volume and in trypsin was found in the cirrhotic patients after shunting using the test meal stimulation. There was no appreciable difference, however, when tested with secretin and pancreozymin. Hypersecretion in cirrhotics, with or without shunts, is probably due to a by-pass of the hepatic degradation of normal pancreatic secretogogues produced by the intestine.