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Gastrinomas are tumors associated with a rare gastroenterological disorder known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES).
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∙ 13y ago
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What are the symptoms of gastrinoma?
Abdominal pain is the predominant symptom of ulcer disease. About 40% of patients have diarrhea as well. In some patients, diarrhea is the primary symptom of gastrinoma.
What are the causes of gastrinoma?
Most persons with gastrinomas secrete profound amounts of gastric acid, and almost all develop ulcers, mostly in the duodenum or stomach.
What is the prognosis for a patient with gastrinoma?
A NIH study of patients who had surgical removal of gastrinomas found that 42% were disease-free one year after surgery and 35% were disease-free at five years.
What treatment exists for patients with gastrinoma?
Therapy for gastrinomas should be individualized, since patients tend to have varying degrees of disease and symptoms. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the overproduction of gastric acid and removing the gastrin-producing tumors.
How is gastrinoma diagnosed?
Gastrinomas are usually diagnosed by a blood test that measures the level of gastrin in the blood. Patients with gastrinomas often have gastrin levels more than 200 pg/mL, which is 4-10 times higher than normal.
What are the characteristics of XX?
Gastrinomas are an integral part of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). In fact, ZES is also known as gastrinoma. This syndrome consists of ulcer disease in the upper gastrointestinal tract, marked increases in the secretion of gastric acid.
Why get a serum gastric level?
A serum gastrin level is ordered to determine the level of the hormone gastrin. A blood sample is used to determine the hormone level. High levels of gastrin indicate the presence a duodenal ulcer or a gastrinoma. If your doctor suspects you may have one of these conditions this could be the reason that you would get this test done.
What is the causes of hypoacidity?
Hyperacidity, by which I presume you mean excess acid production (and is very different from a breakdown in the stomach's defensive layers) could be due to: Excess gastrin production (full stomach stimulates gastrin release/gastrinoma (gastrin secreting tumor)) Smoking Stress (histamine release which acts on gastric parietal cells) Brain injuries (vagal nerve stimulation --> ACh production ---> directly acts on parietal cells) Burns (decreased plasma volume --> increased acid production)
What diseases start with letter Z?
I will provide 8 conditions in the human body that begin with the letter "X:" 1. Xanthemia - carotenemia; 2. xanthinuria - the excretion of large amounts of xanthine in the urine; 3. xanthochromia - patches of yellow skin on the body; 4. xanthogranuloma - infiltration of lipid in the retroperitoneal tissue; 5. xenophthalmia - inflammation in the eye by a foreign object; 6. xerasia - dry and brittle hair on the scalp; 7. xerophthalmia - excessive dryness of the eye; and 8. xerostomia - dryness of the mouth.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
DefinitionZollinger-Ellison syndrome is a condition that occurs with abnormal production of the hormone gastrin. A small tumor (gastrinoma) in the pancreas or small intestine produces the high levels of gastrin in the blood.Alternative NamesZ-E syndrome; GastrinomaCauses, incidence, and risk factorsZollinger-Ellison syndrome is caused by tumors, usually found in the head of the pancreas and the upper small bowel. These tumors produce the hormone gastrin and are called gastrinomas. High levels of gastrin cause too much production of stomach acid.Gastrinomas occur as single tumors or as small, multiple tumors. About one-half to two-thirds of single gastrinomas are cancerous (malignant) tumors that commonly spread to the liver and nearby lymph nodes.A number of patients with gastrinomas have many tumors as part of a condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN I). MEN I patients often have tumors of the pituitary gland (brain) and parathyroid gland (neck), as well as tumors of the pancreas.SymptomsAbdominal painDiarrheaUlcers in the stomach and small bowelVomiting blood(occasional)Signs and testsAbdominal CT scanCalcium infusion testEndoscopicultrasoundExploratory surgeryElevated gastrin levelOctreotide scanSecretin stimulation testTreatmentMedications called proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, lansoprazole) are now the first choice for treating Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. These drugs reduce acid production by the stomach, and promote healing of ulcers in the stomach and small bowel. They also relieve abdominal pain and diarrhea.Surgery to remove a single gastrinoma may be done if there is no evidence that it has spread to other organs (such as lymph nodes or the liver). Surgery on the stomach (gastrectomy) to control acid production is rarely needed today.Expectations (prognosis)Even with early diagnosis and surgery to remove the tumor, the cure rate is relatively low. However, gastrinomas grow slowly, and patients may live for many years after the tumor is discovered. Acid-suppressing medications are very effective at controlling the symptoms of too much acid production.ComplicationsFailure to locate the tumor during surgeryIntestinal bleeding or hole (perforation) from ulcers in the stomach or duodenumSevere diarrhea and weight lossSpread of the tumor to other organs (most often liver and lymph nodes)Calling your health care providerCall your health care provider if you have severe abdominal pain that does not go away, especially if it occurs with diarrhea.
Is indigestion a sign of another ailment?
Indigestion is commonly called gastric reflux, which is a descriptive term for the flow of stomach contents (eg, acid) up and into the esophagus (the food tube). Mild, intermittent gastric reflux is a very common condition and affects a large minority of people. This can often be relieved by sleeping with an extra pillow under one's head, minimizing acid-generating foods in the diet (eg, caffeine), and/or taking antacids (eg, TUMS). These mild cases are generally without medical consequence.Moderate to severe gastric reflux should be managed by a physician. These cases tend not to respond so well to the interventions mentioned above. Some people with this degree of reflux may simply need more targeted therapy, such as medications that inhibit the production of acid by the stomach. There are several such medications; common ones include ranitidine, cimetidine, omeprazole, and pantoprazole.Others with moderate to severe reflux may need additional evaluation to investigate whether the gastric reflux is associated with an underlying condition. Such conditions do exist, and can generally be categorized as problems with the esophagus and problems with the stomach's production of acid. Esophageal problems include hiatal hernia, in which there is laxity in the muscles that normally prevent backflow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus; scleroderma is associated with poor muscular control of the esophagus, leading to reflux.Gastric problems are generally those that lead to increased acid production. These include gastrinoma (a tumor made of cells that tell the stomach to make acid), which can lead to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome; and hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels), which can lead to increased acid production.
