Stool Elastase

A stool elastase test measures the amount of elastase in your stool (poop). Elastase is one of a few digestive enzymes ('digestive juices') that your pancreas makes to help digest food. Your pancreas is a gland that sits behind your stomach.

Elastase helps break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins so your body can use them for energy, growth, and repairing cells. Your pancreas releases elastase into your small intestine through a duct (a small tube). If your pancreas is working well, you'll have elastase in your stool.

If little or no elastase is found in your stool, it can mean that your pancreas can't make and/or release enough elastase and other digestive juices. This is called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. It's often called pancreatic insufficiency or EPI for short.

If you have EPI, your body can't digest fats very well. This can cause symptoms, such as abdominal (belly) pain, and diarrhea. EPI also makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamins, minerals, and calories from food.

This is called malabsorption and it can lead to serious health problems from malnutrition. EPI is caused by conditions that damage the pancreas or block the ducts that let elastase flow into the intestine. The two main causes of EPI are: Chronic (long-lasting) pancreatitis in adults.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas.; Cystic fibrosis in children. This inherited disease causes mucus to build up in pancreas, lungs, and other organs.; Other causes of EPI include: Acute (short-term) pancreatitis; Pancreatic cancer; Crohn's disease; Ulcerative colitis; Diabetes; Weight-loss surgery and other surgery on the digestive system; Certain genetic disorders, such as Shwachman-Diamond syndrome in children;

Why this test is done

You or your child may need a stool elastase test if you have certain digestive problems and a health care provider thinks exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) could be the cause. Signs and symptoms of EPI include:

• Greasy, unusually foul-smelling stools (poops)
• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Bloating and gas
• Weight loss without trying
• Malabsorption
• Malnutrition
• Delayed growth and trouble gaining weight in children

If you or your child have a condition that can cause EPI, such as chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis, you may need to have stool elastase testing from time to time. The tests are done to check whether your pancreas is making enough digestive juices.

How to prepare

If you are taking pancreatic enzyme supplements, you may need to stop taking them for five days before the test. Don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.

Sample type

Stool

Other names for this test

pancreatic elastase, fecal pancreatic elastase, fecal elastase, FE-1, EL-1, PE-1, PE stool