External Pancreatic Fistulas
An external pancreatic fistula is an abnormal communication between the pancreas (actually pancreatic duct) and the exterior of the body via the abdominal wall.
Loss of bicarbonate-rich pancreatic fluid via a pancreatic fistula can result in a hyperchloraemic or normal anion gap metabolic acidosis. Loss of a small volume of fluid will not cause a problem but an acidosis is common if the volume of pancreatic fluid lost from the body is large.
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