skip to main content

Type 3c diabetes — SCE Endocrinology MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardDiabetesType 3c diabetesSCE Endocrinology

A man with chronic calcific pancreatitis has steatorrhoea and insulin-requiring diabetes with recurrent severe hypoglycaemia. Which management package best addresses type 3c diabetes?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B — Optimise enzymes and nutrition while titrating insulin to minimise hypoglycaemia

Explanation lettering: E = shown as A · A = shown as B · B = shown as D · D = shown as E

A is correct. Type 3c diabetes combines insulin deficiency, impaired glucagon counter-regulation and exocrine failure, producing malnutrition and unpredictable hypoglycaemia. Pancreatic enzyme replacement, nutrition and fat-soluble-vitamin review accompany carefully titrated insulin and education. Stopping enzymes worsens malabsorption; sulfonylurea and SGLT2 monotherapy are unsafe in marked insulin deficiency, while ignoring exocrine disease misses the defining management problem.

Reference: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5003514/