[Pancreatic changes associated with acute gastroenteritis]

A retrospective study is discussed, in which the disorder of pancreatic enzymes in hospitalized patients because of an acute infectious gastroenteritis is analyzed. Of 30 cases, 15 showed a raise in lipase levels, being over 1,000 IU in five of them. There was no associated raise in amylase levels. Patients with high lipase levels did not show more fever, leucocytosis nor disorders on the hepatic enzymes, in comparison with those patients with normal lipase levels. Mean age was slightly lower in patients with high lipase levels than in those with normal lipase. Chronic diseases are not a predisposing factor to suffer pancreatic complications in patients with gastroenteritis. There was no case with intense abdominal pain which would suggest a pancreatitis, and a raise in lipase did not modify the evolution of the gastroenteritis.