Which description best matches stool in chronic pancreatitis?

Which description best matches stool in chronic pancreatitis?

• A. Light gray clay-colored stool
• B. Greasy, foamy, foul-smelling, fatty stool
• C. Black, tarry stool
• D. Watery stool

Answer: (B)

Chronic pancreatitis causes loss of pancreatic exocrine function, especially lipase, leading to fat malabsorption (steatorrhea). When fats aren’t digested, they pass into the stool, making it greasy, foamy, and fatty, with a strong, foul odor and often a bulky, floating consistency. This description best matches the stool you’d expect with pancreatic insufficiency. In contrast, clay-colored stool points to bile flow problems, black tarry stool signals upper GI bleeding, and watery stool is more typical of nonspecific diarrhea rather than fat malabsorption.

Chronic pancreatitis causes loss of pancreatic exocrine function, especially lipase, leading to fat malabsorption (steatorrhea). When fats aren’t digested, they pass into the stool, making it greasy, foamy, and fatty, with a strong, foul odor and often a bulky, floating consistency. This description best matches the stool you’d expect with pancreatic insufficiency. In contrast, clay-colored stool points to bile flow problems, black tarry stool signals upper GI bleeding, and watery stool is more typical of nonspecific diarrhea rather than fat malabsorption.