title: Somatostatinoma of the duodenum.
abstract: An adenocarcinoma of the second portion of the duodenum in a 26-year-old male is presented. The patient was suffering from pain in the epigastrium. Immunofluorescent studies revealed that it consisted almost exclusively of cells with a distincly positive somatostatin-like immunoreactivity. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasm of the tumor cells had numerous large round granules (about 400 micrometers) with variable electron density. Most of these cells closely resembled the D cells normally seen in the duodenum and the islets of the pancreas, although a few argyrophil cells could be demonstrated by light microscopy. Radioimmunoassay of extracts of the tumor revealed a large amount of somatostatin (2260 pg/mg); substance P and VIP were detected also. Somatostatinoma has been known to occur in the pancreas, but this seems to be the first somatostatinoma found in the intestine.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004379:Duodenal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013373:Substance P / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D013004:Somatostatin