The blood test for amylase is used to diagnose acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and other pancreatic diseases. The swift rise of amylase at the beginning of a pancreatitis attack, and its fall after about 2 days, helps to pinpoint this diagnosis. Amylase is sometimes although rarely used in the diagnosis and follow-up of cancer of the pancreas, gallbladder disease and mumps.
An amylase test may be requested if you show symptoms of a pancreatic disorder, such as severe abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, or nausea. Urine amylase may be requested with or following a blood amylase test. One or both may also be requested when a doctor wants to monitor a patient to find out whether treatment is working and whether amylase levels are increasing or decreasing.
In pancreatitis which is a severe inflammation of the pancreas, amylase concentrations are usually very high, often 5-10 times normal. Increased amylase concentrations may also indicate cancer of the pancreas, gallbladder disease, a perforated ulcer, obstruction of the intestinal tract, mumps or ectopic pregnancy. Increased blood amylase with normal or low urine amylase may indicate decreased kidney function or the presence of macroamylase, when amylase is attached to other proteins and accumulates in blood. High amylase concentrations due to macroamylase is not a indicator of disease.
In acute pancreatitis, elevated amylase concentrations usually parallel levels of another enzyme called lipase. Either amylase or lipase can be requested in order to help diagnose acute pancreatitis, but amylase is the most frequently used test. Chronic (long-term) pancreatitis is often associated with alcoholism. It may also be caused by trauma to the pancreas or associated with genetic abnormalities such as cystic fibrosis. Amylase concentrations may be moderately elevated with chronic pancreatitis or may be decreased when the cells that produce amylase in the pancreas become damaged or destroyed.
This article was last reviewed on 27 March 2015. | This article was last modified on 27 March 2015.
The review date indicates when the article was last reviewed from beginning to end to ensure that it reflects the most current science. A review may not require any modifications to the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
The modified date indicates that one or more changes were made to the article. Such changes may or may not result from a full review of the article, so the two dates may not always agree.