Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, found as a rule in advanced stages of chronic pancreatitis is usually associated also with gastric hypersecretion and hyperacidity. Chronic pancreatitis is manifested clinically by a number of symptoms originating in the abnormal processes of nutrient digestion and absorption but they may also result from impaired regulatory mechanisms in the upper digestive tract. The authors using 24-hour pH metry and electrogastrography assessed abnormalities of gastric electrophysiology, markedly acid gastric contents (mean value pH < 1.0) in 50 % of the examined subjects. Particularly frequent was the finding of bradygastria in subjects where chronic pancreatitis was associated with diabetes (80.0 %). Duodenogastric reflux was recorded in 5 subjects of 18 examined (27.7 %). From the practical aspect the authors recommend in chronic pancreatitis to add to enzyme supplementation HCl secretion blockers in those instan- ces where there is no adequate response to enzyme and prokinetics therapy and where during therapy symptoms of abnormalities in the sphere of gastric and possibly intestinal motility per- sist.

        Key words: chronic pancreatitis – exocrine pancreatic insufficiency