[Expert judgement of pancreatic disease (author's transl)]

An expert judgement about patients with pancreatic disease has to be founded on a detailed description of the status. Diagnosis has to be established by reliable results of physical laboratory examination, which ought to be repeatable on control. Analysis of causal relationship has to be based upon scientifically well documented facts in regard to etiology, pathogenesis, course and prognosis of the disease. Objective judgement of pancreatic disease nevertheless is hampered by difficulties considerably in establishing diagnostic results and interpreting these. Significance of secondary pancreatitis as compared to primary pancreatitis is underestimated quite often nowadays. Excretory insufficiency of chronic pancreatitis and as a consequence insufficient resorption is quite often the determining factor for physical unfitness.