Pancreatic insufficiency occurs when your pancreas doesn't produce enough digestive enzymes-lipase, amylase, and proteases-to break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Without these enzymes, your body can't absorb nutrients properly. This condition is also known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and is coded as ICD-10 K86.8. A simple stool test, such as fecal elastase, can confirm the diagnosis.
Symptoms often start subtly and can include:
Several factors can impair enzyme production or delivery:
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The exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) test measures enzyme levels in your stool-most commonly using a fecal elastase assay-to determine if your pancreas is producing enough digestive enzymes.
Diagnosis combines clinical symptoms with laboratory tests (stool elastase, blood nutrient levels) and imaging studies (CT scan, MRI) to evaluate pancreatic structure and function.
Early symptoms include oily or greasy stools (steatorrhea), bloating, gas, mild diarrhea, and feeling full quickly after meals.
Yes. In children, cystic fibrosis is the most common cause of EPI, leading to similar digestive symptoms like malabsorption and poor weight gain.
In adults, chronic pancreatitis is the leading cause. Other factors include pancreatic surgery, duct blockages, tumors, or rare inherited conditions.
The ICD-10 code used for billing and diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is K86.8.
Yes. Dogs can develop EPI, often showing weight loss, greasy stools, and poor coat quality, similar to human symptoms.
A low-fat, high-protein diet in small, frequent meals works best. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) should be taken with each meal to aid digestion.
Most patients experience significant symptom improvement-reduced bloating, gas, and steatorrhea-within a few days to two weeks of starting enzyme therapy.
GastroDoxs in Jersey Village offers specialized care for pancreatic insufficiency, including advanced testing, personalized treatment plans, and nutrition counseling.
