Pancreas Care

The pancreas plays an important role in digestion, producing enzymes to break down food and insulin to help control blood sugar. If problems keep your pancreas from working like it should, Virtua gastroenterologists provide the diagnosis and treatment you need.

Types of Pancreas Disorders

About six inches long, the pancreas is located in the abdomen between the stomach and spine. It produces enzymes that are secreted into the intestine to aid in the digestion of food. The pancreas also releases hormones like insulin into your bloodstream that helps your body use or store energy.

Types of pancreatic disorders include:

• Acute pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas often caused by gallstones. With episodes lasting several days, acute pancreatitis causes severe upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and fever.
• Chronic pancreatitis, long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas commonly caused by heavy alcohol consumption. It is more common in men and people between the ages of 30 and 40. Symptoms include constant pain in your upper belly that radiates to your back, upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Over time, damage to the pancreas can stop it from making insulin, leading to diabetes.
• Hereditary pancreatitis, a progressive disease linked to inherited disorders like cystic fibrosis. People with this disorder may have chronic pain, diarrhea, malnutrition, or diabetes.
• Pancreatic cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer death in the United States. There are no symptoms in early stages. As the disease progresses, people may experience abdominal pain that radiates to the back, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark-colored urine, loss of appetite, and new or difficult-to-control diabetes.
• Pancreatic cysts, potentially cancerous small pockets of fluid in the pancreas. Symptoms may include persistent abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloating.
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, a condition where the pancreas does not supply the necessary enzymes to digest food. Symptoms may include diarrhea, bloating, gas, fatigue, cramps, and stomach pain.

Pancreatic Disorders Diagnosis at Virtua

In addition to assessing your symptoms and conducting a physical exam, your clinician may recommend a series of tests to diagnose your condition.

These may include:

• Pancreatic function test to see if you are producing the right amount of digestive enzymes, such as amylase and lipase
• Blood tests to measure your liver function, white blood count, and blood sugar and calcium levels
• Imaging tests such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), MRI, and CT to look for inflammation in your pancreas, bile duct problems, and the presence of gallstones, cysts, and tumors
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which uses a long tube with a camera on the end to look at your pancreas and bile duct, take tissue samples, place stents to relieve blockages, and break up bile duct stones
• Endoscopic ultrasound uses a long tube and sound waves to record detailed images of the pancreas and ducts. Tissue and cyst fluid samples can be taken at the same time
• Biopsy, which uses a needle to remove a small piece of tissue from your pancreas