Liquid pancreatic enzyme therapy for a patient with short bowel syndrome and chronic pancreatitis in a complicated case of Crohn's disease.

The case of a 45 year old female with multiple complications of Crohn's disease is reported. After multiple resections in the gastrointestinal tract she had been suffering from short bowel syndrome and severe malnutrition. With a special continuous gastric tube feeding system, she was able to maintain her weight for years. In the beginning of 1997 the enteral nutrition was not longer tolerated for an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. There was a weight loss, permanent pain and total parenteral nutrition had to be performed. In this situation a new liquid preparation of pancreatic enzymes which had been tested in the laboratory before, was used for continuous enzyme replacement via gastric tube. In combination with this enzyme preparation, enteral nutrition could successfully be started again.