Pancreatic Somatostatinoma. Clinical Features and Physiological Implications

The first case of a tumour producing somatostatin-like immunoreactivity and bioactivity is presented. The pancreatic tumour was composed of cells indistinguishable from islet D cells. Radioimmunoassay of blood-samples obtained by tumour-vein catheterisation revealed very high levels of somatostatin immunoreactivity. On gel chromatography tumour extracts were found to contain at least 4 different immunoreactive components, one of which eluted in the position of synthetic somatostatin. Extracts from the tumour were potent in inhibiting insulin and glucagon secretion from isolated perfused porcine pancreas. Clinical abnormalities included hypochlorhydria, steatorrhoea, and diabetic glucose tolerance. Conceivably some of these abnormalities may be related to somatostatin hypersecretion from the pancreatic tumour.