COLONIC WALL THICKNESS, PANCREATIC-ENZYME DOSE AND TYPE OF PREPARATION IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Increased colonic wall thickness has been reported in patients exposed to large doses of high strength pancreatic enzyme preparations who di d not develop fibrosing colonopathy. This has been interpreted as evid ence for a spectrum of subclinical disease. The relation between sonog raphically measured colonic wall thickness and pancreatic enzyme prepa ration and dose was studied in 86 children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Colonic wall thickness of a control group was also measured. The avera ge thickness in all colonic regions was higher in the CF group (overal l average range 0.7-2.5 mm v 0.6-1.4 mm in the control group). There w as no significant relation between colonic wall thickness and age, sex , total dose of lipase, or copolymer. Apart from one patient with an e arly colonic stricture, none of those exposed to high doses of Lipase, or the methacrylic acid copolymer Eudragit L30 D55, showed evidence o f subclinical damage to the colon. The reproducibility of the sonograp hic measurements was poor.