Transient Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Children: An Existing Entity?

OBJECTIVES:Pancreatic insufficiency in children is usually associated with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, or chronic pancreatitis. Fecal elastase-1 is a reliable laboratory test for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Transient pancreatic insufficiency has been rarely described and data on this entity are lacking in the medical literature. In this retrospective study we report 17 cases of transient pancreatic insufficiency presented mainly with failure to thrive and/or diarrhea. METHODS:We followed 43 children (age range 1 month–18 years) with low fecal elastase-1 in our institution between the years 2009 and 2017. We followed growth and laboratory results (particularly, complete blood count, albumin, transaminases, celiac serology, sweat test, and fat-soluble vitamins). Elastase levels