A 62-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 5-day history of swelling in his left arm. Physical examination shows erythema and a tender, palpable cord-like structure along the medial arm. A superficial thrombophlebitis is daignosed. During further evaluation, a palpable, nontender mass below the right costal margin is found. Abdominal imaging shows a malignant mass in the pancreas. The patient subsequently undergoes an uncomplicated subtotal pancreatectomy and returns for a postoperative nutritional assessment following hospital discharge. Which of the following tests will most likely be normal in this patient after surgery?

Question

A 62-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 5-day history of swelling in his left arm. Physical examination shows erythema and a tender, palpable cord-like structure along the medial arm. A superficial thrombophlebitis is daignosed. During further evaluation, a palpable, nontender mass below the right costal margin is found. Abdominal imaging shows a malignant mass in the pancreas.  The patient subsequently undergoes an uncomplicated subtotal pancreatectomy and returns for a postoperative nutritional assessment following hospital discharge.  Which of the following tests will most likely be normal in this patient after surgery?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Polysaccharides must be degraded to monosaccharides by pancreatic and brush border amylases before they can be absorbed.  Monosaccharides can be absorbed directly.  D-xylose is a monosaccharide whose absorption is not affected by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and can be used to differentiate between pancreatic versus mucosal causes of malabsorption.

A 62-Year-Old Man Comes to the Physician Because of a 5-Day