Life threatening diarrhoea ultimately cured by surgery.
A 30-year-old previously healthy woman was diagnosed as having a vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-producing tumour of the pancreas. Her medical history was typical for neuroendocrine gastrointestinal tumours, presenting initially with non-specific symptoms but eventually she developed life-threatening manifestations requiring intensive care due to severe dehydration. She immediately recovered following surgical resection. The patient had elevated serum concentrations of VIP as well as pancreastatin, and post-operatively elevated concentrations of three growth factors, IGF-I, EGF and TGF-alpha, were seen. The importance of the alterations in plasma concentrations of the different peptides for her symptomatology are discussed.
Sjöqvist
U
U
Department of Gastroenterology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Permert
J
J
Löfberg
R
R
Larsson
J
J
Gadaleanu
V
V
Adrian
T E
TE
D000328:Adult; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003969:Vipoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D006133:Growth Substances; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D015282:Octreotide