Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a condition characterized by deficiency of the exocrine pancreatic enzymes, resulting in the inability to digest food properly, or maldigestion Who gets EPI?The pancreatic duct is a tube that collects the digestive juices made by the pancreas and carries them into the first part of the bowel (duodenum) What the pancreas does The pancreas makes digestive juices, as well as different types of hormones such as insulin The part of the pancreas that makes digestive juices is the exocrine pancreas The endocrine pancreatic tissue consists of small, discrete clusters of cells, called islets of Langerhans (also called pancreatic islets), scattered throughout the exocrine pancreatic lobules Unlike the exocrine pancreatic acini, which secrete into a ductular system, cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete directly into small fenestrated capillaries that are integrated within
The Pancreas And Its Functions Columbia University Department Of Surgery