Laboratory evaluation of pancreatic diseases

In this review an update of the contribution of Laboratory Medicine to the diagnosis and monitoring of pancreatic disease is given. Today, laboratory tests not only play a pivotal role in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, but also may help to assess the disease severity and its etiology. In the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis lipase measurement in serum is superior to (P-type) amylase in terms of cost-effectiveness and diagnostic performance. Laboratory is also
important in detection and monitoring of pancreatic insufficiency (by elastase-1 and chymotrypsin) and in monitoring of pancreatic cancer (by carbohydrate antigen 19.9).