Pancreatic Insufficiency and Vitamin B12 Malabsorption

A deficiency of vitamin B12may result from several causes. These include the absence of gastric intrinsic factor, impaired absorption of vitamin B12due to abnormal bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel, and impaired transport of vitamin B12due to a diseased terminal ileum. It is not generally appreciated that impaired vitamin B12absorption may also be associated with pancreatic insufficiency.1-5The present report describes studies in a patient with pancreatic insufficiency and vitamin B12malabsorption in whom impaired absorption of vitamin B12was corrected by treatment with pancreatic enzymes.