Search

Background and aims: Long-term treatment with H + -K + -adenotriphosphatase (ATPase) inhibitors, such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, for severe gastroesophageal reflux disease is now widely used. Whether such treatment will result in vitamin B 12 deficiency is controversial. We studied whether long-term treatment with omeprazole alters serum vitamin B 12 levels in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Methods: In 131 consecutive patients treated with either omeprazole (n = 111) or histamine H 2 -receptor antagonists (n = 20), serum vitamin B 12 and folate levels and complete blood counts were determined after acid secretion had been controlled for at least 6 months. These studies were repeated yearly. Serum vitamin B 12 and folate levels were correlated with the type of antisecretory drug and the extent of inhibition of acid secretion. Results: The mean duration of omeprazole treatment was 4.5 years, and for H 2 -receptor antagonists 10 years. Vitamin B 12 levels, but not serum folate levels or any hematological parameter, were significantly ( P = 0.03) lower in patients treated with omeprazole, especially those with omeprazole-induced sustained hyposecretion ( P = 0.0014) or complete achlorhydria ( P 12 levels decreased significantly (30%; P = 0.001) only in patients rendered achlorhydric. The duration of omeprazole treatment was inversely correlated with vitamin B 12 levels ( P = 0.013), but not folate levels. Eight patients (6%) developed subnormal B 12 levels during follow-up. Conclusions: Long-term omeprazole treatment leads to significant decreases in serum vitamin B 12 but not folate levels. These results suggest patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome treated with H + -K + -ATPase inhibitors should have serum vitamin B 12 levels monitored. Furthermore, these results raise the possibility that other patients treated chronically with H + -K + -ATPase inhibitors may develop B 12 deficiency.

Background: Gastric acid secretion is important for absorption of dietary non-haem iron, and iron deficiency is common in gastric hyposecretory states such as after gastric resection. It is not known if prolonged, continuous treatment with potent acid suppressants such as omeprazole will lead to iron deficiency or lower body iron stores. Aim: To assess iron stores and the occurrence of iron deficiency anaemia in patients with Zollinger–Ellison syndrome (ZES) treated long-term with gastric antisecretory drugs. Methods: One hundred and nine patients with ZES but without previous gastric resections were studied. All patients underwent assessment of acid control on antisecretory agents, determination of tumour extent, evaluation of haematological parameters (Hct, haemoglobin, WBC, MCV, MCHC), and determination of serum iron parameters (iron, ferritin, transferrin, iron/transferrin ratio). Acid control values for the last 4 years were reviewed, the presence or absence of acid hyposecretion determined using three different criteria and this result correlated with haematological and iron parameters. Results: Eighty-nine patients were taking omeprazole, nine patients were taking histamine H2-antagonists and 11 patients were taking no drugs following curative resection. The mean duration of omeprazole treatment was 5.7 years (range 0.7–12.5 years) and total duration of any treatment was 10.1 years (range 0.7–21 years). Acid hyposecretion was present by at least one criterion in 45% of patients. There were no significant differences between patients with or without acid hyposecretion, taking or not taking omeprazole, having different durations of omeprazole treatment or different durations of total time receiving any antisecretory treatment, for any serum iron parameter, haematological parameter, or for the frequency of iron deficiency. Males and females did not differ in percentage with low ferritin levels or percentage with iron deficiency. Conclusions: Continuous treatment with omeprazole for 6 years or continuous treatment with any gastric antisecretory drug for 10 years does not cause decreased body iron stores or iron deficiency. These results suggest that, in contrast to recent results which show yearly monitoring of vitamin B12 in such patients is needed, such monitoring for iron parameters is not necessary.

OBJECTIVE: There is almost no information on the management of patients with functional pancreatic endocrine tumors such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to develop an approach for the management of such cases during pregnancy on the basis of experience with five recent cases. STUDY DESIGN: Five women with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome who had seven pregnancies were the subject of this study. Each patient had an initial evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and to establish gastrinoma location and for the presence or absence of multiple endocrine neoplasia type I. In patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome diagnosed before conception, various medical or surgical treatments were established before conception and were used to control acid secretion throughout the pregnancy. The presence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy, maternal and fetal complications, gender, and weight of the infant were determined in all cases. Acid control was determined in four of the five patients during six pregnancies. RESULTS: The interval between the onset of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and the subsequent pregnancy varied from 0.6 to 9.9 years (mean 6.9 ± 1.7 years). Zollinger-Ellison syndrome was unrecognized before pregnancy in two patients (40%); it was diagnosed between 0.2 and 2.4 years after the pregnancy. In three patients the time of diagnosis varied from 2.6 to 9 years before pregnancy. All patients had symptoms from gastric hypersecretion and elevated fasting serum gastrin levels that varied from 20% above normal to 37-fold above normal with mean of 2536 pg/ml (range 124 to 6970 pg/ml). Four of the five patients (80%) had positive secretin and calcium provocative tests. Two patients had multiple endocrine neoplasia type I. The five patients had seven pregnancies. Acid secretion was treated during pregnancy with antacids only (one patient), ranitidine alone (one patient), prior curative gastrinoma resection (one patient, two pregnancies), prior parietal cell vagotomy with incomplete tumor resection (one patient, two pregnancies), and prior parathyroidectomy and use of ranitidine in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type I. In five pregnancies in three of the cases, no gastric antisecretory medications were needed during pregnancy. The mean acid secretion during pregnancy was 11.9 mEq/hr (range 0 to 42 mEq/hr). In the two cases with poor acid control and unrecognized Zollinger-Ellison syndrome mild fetal complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible for patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome to have pregnancies that are not complicated by gastric acid hypersecretion. If the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is diagnosed before pregnancy, curative resection or resection with parietal cell vagotomy may obviate the need for gastric antisecretory drugs. If metastases are present or the diagnosis of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is made after conception, ranitidine in the lowest possible dose should be used to control acid secretion. If acid secretion in uncontrolled, the dose may be increased or omeprazole may be used. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997;176:224-33.)

To evaluate localization of hepatic metastases with the intraarterial secretin injection test in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES).Results in 74 patients with ZES (aged 15-70 years) were retrospectively studied. All patients had undergone computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, ultrasound, abdominal angiography, and an intraarterial secretin test, in which venous blood is sampled periodically after injection of secretin.Twenty-two patients had liver metastases. An increase in venous gastrin concentration of at least 25% at 20 seconds or 50% at 30 seconds after injection indicated a positive result. Results were positive in 41% of patients with and 2% without liver metastases (P.0001). Sensitivity of the intraarterial secretin test was 41%; of CT and ultrasound, 64%; and of MR imaging and angiography, 77%. Intraarterial secretin test results assisted in clinical management in 22% of patients.With the criteria developed, the intraarterial secretin test had high specificity but low sensitivity. It should be used when imaging results are unclear.

To compare somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy and conventional imaging modalities in the differentiation of small hepatic hemangiomas from small liver metastases in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.Twenty-nine patients had hypervascular liver lesions smaller than 2 cm that could have been either metastases or hemangiomas. Fourteen patients had metastases, 14 had hemangiomas, and one had both. Scintigraphy was compared with computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and angiography for the correct identification of the lesions.The hemangiomas and liver metastases both had a mean size of 1.3 cm. In the patients with hepatic hemangiomas, scintigraphy showed no lesions. CT, angiography, or MR imaging showed a lesion in 40%-93%. With metastases present, any liver lesion was detected in 93% with scintigraphy versus 20%-60% with another modality. Scintigraphy depicted liver metastases in 93% of patients, which was higher than the sensitivities of other modalities. The accuracy (96%) and positive (100%) and negative (93%) predictive values of scintigraphy for detecting liver metastases were superior to those of other modalities. There were 45 liver metastases and 31 hemangiomas; a per lesion analysis gave results similar to the per patient analysis results.In Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy provides an excellent diagnostic tool to differentiate small hepatic hemangiomas from small liver metastases.

To compare the sensitivity of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy done using [111In-DTPA-DPhe1]octreotide with that of other imaging methods in the localization of gastrinomas in patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.Prospective study.Referral-based clinical research center.80 consecutive patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.Conventional tumor localization studies (ultrasonography, computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], selective angiography, and bone scanning) and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy done using [111In-DTPA-DPhe1]octreotide with single-photon emission CT imaging at 4 and 24 hours. Patients with possible liver metastases had biopsies done for confirmation, and 15 patients had exploratory laparotomies done to assess primary tumor localization.Extrahepatic gastrinomas or liver metastases were identified by ultrasonography in 19% of patients, by CT in 38% of patients, by MRI in 45% of patients, by angiography in 40% of patients, and by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in 70% of patients. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy was as sensitive as the other tests combined (59%), and when the results of all other tests were added to the somatostatin receptor scintigraphy results, tumors were localized in 75% of patients. Among patients with a possible primary tumor, the results of ultrasonography were positive in 9%, the results of CT were positive in 31%, the results of MRI were positive in 30%, the results of angiography were positive in 28%, and the results of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy were positive in 58%. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy was as sensitive as all of the other imaging studies combined; when the results of scintigraphy were added to the results of the other studies, possible primary tumors were identified in 68% of patients. In 24 patients who had histologically proven metastatic liver disease, sensitivities for the detection of any metastatic liver lesions were 46% for ultrasonography, 42% for CT, 71% for MRI, 62% for angiography, and 92% for somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy was significantly better than all of the conventional imaging methods in the identification of gastrinomas later found at surgery (P = 0.004), but it still missed 20% of gastrinomas.Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy is the single most sensitive method for imaging either primary or metastatic liver lesions in patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Because of its sensitivity, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, it should be the first imaging method used in these patients. For patients with negative results on somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, guidelines about the use of other imaging studies are proposed.