Stool Elastase
Reviewed
Measures the amount of elastase in stool to help evaluate pancreatic function and diagnose exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).
Preparation and collection
If you take pancreatic enzyme supplements, you may need to stop them for 5 days before the test. Do not stop any medicine unless your provider tells you to.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- The test is more sensitive for severe EPI than for mild or moderate cases.
- A normal result does not completely rule out EPI.
- Results should be interpreted by a healthcare professional; no reference interval or units are provided in the source.
What to do next
If your result is low, your provider will likely order additional tests to confirm EPI and determine the cause. If you have symptoms and a normal result, other causes may be investigated.