Pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome in a child presenting with anemia.
Pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome appears to very rarely afflict young children. Hypergastrinemia, regardless of the etiology, presents with signs and symptoms of nonhealing or multiple gastric or duodenal ulcers, or both. We present a 7-yr-old boy with fasting hypergastrinemia (serum gastrin 200-500 pg/ml) who had mild to moderate iron deficiency anemia, but was asymptomatic. Stool guaiac was positive and gastric acid secretion was almost 40-fold above normal. Endoscopy showed multiple small gastric fundal ulcerations and severe gastritis. Workup for Zollinger--Ellison syndrome was negative. Changes in serum gastrin levels after secretin injection and after ingestion of a protein meal were compatible with those noted in adults with pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome. This child may be the first case of pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome under the age of 17 yr.
D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009780:Occult Blood; D015043:Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
D005755:Gastrins