Pancreatic polypeptide hyperplasia causing watery diarrhea syndrome: a case report.

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas can secrete numerous peptides, leading to various recognizable clinical syndromes. The secretion of pancreatic polypeptide has been used as a marker for neuroendocrine tumours but is considered to be a biologically inert peptide. A 37-year-old woman had watery diarrhea syndrome from pancreatic polypeptide hyperplasia. Only 2 other reported cases in the literature have described pancreatic polypeptide hyperplasia; however, this is the first reported case in which the patient was successfully treated by surgical resection, with a 2-year follow-up. This report and review of the literature illustrate that pancreatic polypeptide hypersecretion may present as a clinical endocrinopathy.

• Authors: J L Pasieka, N Hershfield
• Journal: Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie (Can J Surg) Vol. 42 Issue 1 Pg. 55-8 (Feb 1999) ISSN: 0008-428X [Print] Canada
• PMID: 10071589 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Pancreatic Polypeptide

Topics

• Adult
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Humans
• Hyperplasia
• Islets of Langerhans (pathology)
• Pancreatectomy
• Pancreatic Neoplasms (diagnosis, pathology, surgery)
• Pancreatic Polypeptide (blood)
• Vipoma (diagnosis, pathology, surgery)