PANCREATIC FUNCTION IN SCARLET FEVER

[摘要] Determinations of enzymes in both the duodenal juice and the blood were undertaken in 32 children suffering from scarlet fever. Abnormal values were found in 26 patients. In 10 of these, the dysfunction showed a regular pattern. In the first days, the output of pancreatic enzymes was found high above the normal while those in the blood decreased. After the first week the activity of enzymes in the duodenal juice decreased and at the same time the blood enzymes attained high levels. Conditions returned to normal in the fourth week. Similar, but less marked and incomplete changes, were found in three other children while in the rest incomplete dysfunctions or only hypofunction occurred. Of the three enzymes, the output of lipase was the one most frequently and most severely affected.In two patients the symptoms observed pointed to an inflammation of the pancreas.The dysfunctions were in no connection with either fever or complications. In most cases there was no parallelism in the secretion of the single enzymes.

[学科分类] 儿科学