PANCREATIC ENDOCRINE TUMORS - CORRELATION OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY ANDCLINICAL FINDINGS

24 out of 28 cases of pancreatic endocrine tumors were studied by immu nohistochemistry. They comprised 11 insulinomas, 3 gastrinomas, 1 VIPo ma, 1 glucagonoma and 8 with no endocrine syndrome. 7 patients present ed metastasis by the time of diagnosis. In 14 out of 16 cases of tumor s with endocrine syndrome, there was a good correlation between clinic al syndrome and histological findings. Half of these neoplasms showed positivity for more than one hormone but only one cell type predominat ed which was responsible for the endocrine syndrome. The other hormona l stainings had no clinical expression. Bouin- or Dubosq-fixed samples allowed a better immunohistochemical analysis than formalin-fixed tis sues. Chromogranin was found to be the best general marker for endocri ne tumors. Immunohistochemical staining, when positive, generally show ed a diffuse coloration of the cytoplasm. Sometimes it resembled a <<c oup d'ongle>> or a single granular staining, but its significance is s till unknown.