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Somatostatinoma syndrome. Clinical, morphological and metabolic features and therapeutic aspects

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Summary

A case of somatostatinoma syndrome in a 30-year-old woman is presented. Basal levels of growth hormone and of pancreatic and gastric hormones were reduced and the response of growth hormone, insulin and C-peptide to stimuli such as arginine, glucose, glibenclamide and calcium was virtually abolished. Similarly, gastric acid secretion, pancreatic exocrine function and intestinal absorption were significantly reduced. On the other hand, basal and stimulated levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were within the normal range. Plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity was increased to 600 2,000 pg/ml (normal: 88–140 pg/ml). Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated the presence of somatostatin immunoreactive material in the primary tumour in the head of the pancreas and in the liver metastases. In spite of two courses of chemotherapy with streptozotocin and 5-fluorouracil the patient died due to liver failure 5 months after the first admission to hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Ulm, Germany

    D. Grube

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Ulm, Germany

    J. Galle & O. Haferkamp

  3. Abt. Innere Medizin I Zentrum f. Innere Medizin der Universität Ulm, Steinhövelstr. 9, D-7900, Ulm, Germany

    V. Schusdziarra, H. Seifert, H. Etzrodt, W. Beischer & E. F. Pfeiffer

Authors
  1. V. Schusdziarra
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  2. D. Grube
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  3. H. Seifert
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  4. J. Galle
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  5. H. Etzrodt
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  6. W. Beischer
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  7. O. Haferkamp
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  8. E. F. Pfeiffer
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Additional information

The work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 87 Endokrinologie Ulm, D2, G2, G3 and G6

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Schusdziarra, V., Grube, D., Seifert, H. et al. Somatostatinoma syndrome. Clinical, morphological and metabolic features and therapeutic aspects. Klin Wochenschr 61, 681–689 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01487613

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01487613

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