Prevalence and correlates of Benign Pancreatic Hyperenzymemia in a large general population sample: The Damocles sword perception

Background: Benign Pancreatic Hyperenzymemia (BPH) is characterized by a long-term increase of serum pancreatic enzymes (PE) in otherwise healthy subjects. The study investigates the prevalence and correlates of the condition using data from Electronic Health Records (EHR) in a large sample of general population, to identify subjects potentially affected by BPH. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective observational study integrated by a follow-up visit. Results: The database of a reference laboratory identified, out of 577.251 admittances from 2011 to 2015, 4964 patients tested at least for one PE assay and 1688 subjects who had at least 3 PE tests (normal or increased) over two years. Forty-two individuals showed an increase of PE at least three times throughout 2 years without any evidence of pancreatic disease, even after matching with the ICD 9-CM code in the GPs database. Data retrieved at follow-up visit showed that for 34 the diagnosis of BPH could be made. Conclusions: Our data indicate that BPH prevalence among subjects underwent blood testing for multiple PE testing is 2%. This condition, even if not a disease, is perceived by nearly all the BPH patients as a serious threat to their life. Further studies are needed to manage its heavy psychological impact.