Cure of intractable watery diarrhoea by excision of a vipoma.
A 56-year-old man suffered unexplained watery diarrhoea for 5 years which ultimately produced quadraparesis due to serve potassium depletion. All investigations were negative until demonstration of elevated plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) indicated the presence of a vipoma. Removal of the VIP-producing tumour tissue--an adrenal ganglioneuroma--resulted in complete cure. Plasma VIP measurement is thus a valuable diagnostic screen in such cases and can be used to predict prognosis and to guide further therapy.
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000097:blood
D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide