[Pancreatic function after injury to the pancreas and traumatic pancreatitis]

Endocine and exocrine pancreatic function were investigated in 10 patients after pancreatic trauma or traumatic pancreatitis. There were no cases of overt diabetes mellitus. Three patients had subclinical diabetes. In the secretin-pancreozymin test 5 patients had normal exocrine pancreatic function after trauma, whereas in 3 patients bicarbonate and/or enzyme secretion was diminished, to normalize during an observation time of several years. In the remaining 2 patients a secretin-pancreozymin test could not be performed; one of them had slight steatorrhoea. These results are evidence of a good reserve capacity of the endocrine pancreas, and a good regeneration capacity of the exocrine pancreas, after trauma.