1973 Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 50-58
Diagnostic values of urinary amylase, expressed as hourly amylase secretion for consecutive 7 days, were evaluated in 92 healthy persons and 858 patients with gastrointestinal disorders, including hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases.
Hyperamylasuria was defined by the frequencies and absolute values of abnormal amylase elevation and it was observed very often in the patients with pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis and choledocholithiasis.
But even in the patients with gastric cancer, acute hepatitis and biliary dyskinesia, hyperamylasuria were detected at the rate of 20-30 per cent.
Portal cirrhosis, on the other hand, showed very low value of urinary amylase.
Comparing hyperamylasuria and normoamylasuria with the data of pancreozymin secretin test, abnormal findings were detected more often in the cases with normoamylasuria. This is thought to reveal the differet significance between both examinations.
Even though pancreozymin secretin test is most reliable test for detecting the abnormal function of the exocrine pancreas, urinary amylase reflects well the clinical course of pancreatic impairments by catching the active changes of the pancreatic lesions.
The determination of urinary amylase at least for 5-7 days is considered to be a screening test for detecting slight impairment of the exocrine pancreas.