[PABA test versus chymotrypsin and fat determinations in the stool in pancreatic functional diagnosis]

32 patients with proven chronic pancreatitis and 56 controls without evidence of pancreatic disease were studied by the PABA test, the fecal chymotrypsin method and the fecal fat method. The sensitivity of the fecal chymotrypsin method for detection of pancreatic disease was significantly higher (p less than 0.005). The sensitivity of the PABA test and the fecal fat method were comparable. The specificity of the PABA test and the fecal chymotrypsin method was of the same order.