[Insufficiency of the exocrine pancreas in Wilson's disease (author's transl)].

The function of the exocrine pancreas was examined by the secretin-pancreozymin-test in 3 patients with Wilson's disease. In all cases we found a partial insufficiency. At the time of investigation the patients were 6(7)/12, 11(6)/12 and 21 years old. The youngest one was examined before therapy with D-Penicillamin. We suppose that storage of copper in lysosomes causes a cytotoxic damage of the exocrine part of the pancreas requiring substitution therapy in advanced cases.