Recovery from exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in a patient with fulminant type 1 diabetes

Abstract

A 34-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis due to fulminant type 1 diabetes. The patient's pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions were as follows: the bentiromide (PABA) test value on day 14 was 33.9%, thus indicating exocrine dysfunction. One year and a half later, the PABA test value had improved to 71.0%. On the other hand, the serum C-peptide level after meal ingestion was under the detection limit. The mechanisms underlying pancreatic exocrine abnormalities seem to be different from those underlying accelerated pancreatic beta-cell failure in patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes. © 2013 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.