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Functional disorders of the pancreas - Symptoms
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Symptoms of functional disorders of the pancreas in relatively mild cases of neurogenic genesis are insignificant: moderate dyspeptic phenomena, a feeling of rumbling or "overflowing" in the abdomen, somewhat frequent stool of formed or semi-formed consistency. Thus, the manifestations are very modest, only in neuropathic subjects can they attract attention and cause anxiety and a desire to see a doctor. It should be noted, however, that psychogenic and neurogenic decreases in pancreatic function are usually not isolated: gastric secretion is reduced, secretion of intestinal glands, and absorption processes are possibly disrupted. Therefore, functional disorders of the pancreas, especially if they continue for a long time, are not such a "harmless" deviation from the norm or a "functional" disorder. If a negative, inhibitory factor acts for a long time, even some atrophy of the pancreatic parenchyma is possible.
Functional disorders of the pancreas, as noted above, can have various causes; in particular, viscero-visceral reflexes from diseased organs cannot be excluded.
With an increase in the exocrine function of the pancreas, patients usually do not experience any unpleasant sensations. In some cases, there may be spastic intestinal pain and even the urge to defecate (with severe anxiety, emotions), but they have no direct relation to the state of the pancreas.
Differential diagnostics. First of all, differential diagnostics is carried out between functional disorders of the pancreas and chronic pancreatitis, as well as focal diseases of the pancreas. The absence of clinically expressed symptoms of the disease, as well as signs of morphological changes in the pancreas, detected by echography, scanning and other instrumental research methods, testifies in favor of the functional nature of the gland's lesion.
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