What is a stool elastase test?

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:

Other causes of EPI include:

Other names: pancreatic elastase, fecal pancreatic elastase, fecal elastase, FE-1, EL-1, PE-1, PE stool