Octreotide for medullary thyroid carcinoma associated diarrhoea.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma associated diarrhoea can be disabling. A 75-yr-old man with metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma and refractory diarrhoea is described. Subcutaneous administration of the somatostatin analogue, octreotide, 100 micrograms thrice daily, resulted in a sustained improvement in diarrhoea and disappearance of faecal incontinence without reducing calcitonin levels. Octreotide therapy should be considered as symptomatic treatment for otherwise refractory diarrhoea associated with medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Smid
W M
WM
Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Groningen, Netherlands.
Dullaart
R P
RP
D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*
D002116:Calcitonin; D015282:Octreotide