Early detection is difficult. It does not immediately cause symptoms and when the symptoms do appear, they are usually vague or unnoticeable.
Treatment must always be that indicated by the prescribing physician.
In addition to a physical exam and the complete medical history, the diagnostic procedures for pancreatitis include:
- Abdominal x-ray.
- Blood tests.
- Ultrasound (Also called sonogram)
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Computerized tomography (Also called a CT or CAT scan)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
- BREATH TESTS: The 13C-mixed triglyceride breath test is a non-invasive test for determining pancreatic lipase activity in which the relevant step is the hydrolysis of the ester group by pancreatic lipase to form 13C-octanoic acid triglyceride, which will be directly absorbed and oxidized in the liver to finally produce 13CO2. The13CO2/12CO2 ratio in the breath sample is representative of the lipase activity.