In many cases, gastrinoma is diagnosed based on the patient's history which is typically characterized by recurrent episodes of peptic ulcer disease or by severe reflux esophagitis and/or diarrhea or by acid-related symptoms which fail to respond to standard treatment regimens. To confirm the diagnosis of gastrinoma a series of blood tests must be made. One of those tests is the serum gastrin level, which is the most reliable test for patients suffering from gastrinoma. The normal levels of gastrin are 150 pg/mL ( > 72.15 pmol/L); therefore elevated levels of > 1000 pg/mL (> 480 pmol/L) would establish the diagnosis of gastrinoma. Another test that can be conducted is the secretin stimulated test, which is useful in patients who have the sign and symptoms of gastrinoma but the gastrin levels are below < 1000 pg/mL. Usually, an Intravenous bolus consisting of secretin 2mcg/kg and is measured in 10 minute intervals up to 30 minutes total. Secretin, which is a hormone released from the duodenal S cells that induce the release of pancreatic bicarbonate (HCO3) that would neutralize the acidic environment due to high gastrin levels. Therefore, if the patient's level of gastrin remains consistently high indicating gastrin release due to tumor such as gastrinoma. Other commonly used tests to further confirm the diagnosis are * CT scan of the abdominal area * Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy which is used to identify the location of the tumor * PET scan * Endoscopic ultrasound if there are no signs of tumor metastases.
medical cause of Zollinger–Ellison syndrome
medical cause of Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
medical cause of Gastritis
caption of Plummer–Vinson syndrome
symptom of Coeliac disease
complications of Crohn's disease
symptom of Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1
complications of Helicobacter pylori