TABLE 3.

Reasons for false-positive amylase or lipase elevations

Amylase (29)

Abdominal causes

Biliary tract disease

Intestinal obstruction/ischemia

Mesenteric infarction

Peptic ulcer

Appendicitis

Pancreatic cancer

Ruptured ectopic pregnancy

Prostate disease

Ovarian neoplasm

Afferent loop obstruction

Dissecting aortic aneurysm

Nonabdominal causes

Salivary gland

Salivary trauma

Infection (mumps)

Salivary duct obstruction

Irradiation

Thoracic

Myocardial infarction

Pulmonary embolism

Pneumonia

Metastatic lung cancer

Cardiopulmonary bypass

Metabolic

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Drugs

Opiates

Phenylbutazone

Trauma

Cerebral trauma

Burns

Renal disease

Renal insufficiency

Renal transplantation

Macroamylasemia

Lipase (30,31)

Pancreatic cancer

Nonpancreatic abdominal pain

Macrolipasemia

Renal insufficiency

Acute cholecystitis

Esophagitis

Hypertriglyceridemia