SOMATOSTATIN RECEPTOR SCINTIGRAPHY IN THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW-UP OF GASTRINOMA (ZOLLINGER-ELLISON SYNDROME)

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) was performed in 14 patients (five men, nine women; mean age 51.5 [20-71] years) with Zollinger-Ell ison syndrome (ZES), a gastrinoma proven in 7 and suspected on clinica l or biochemical grounds in 7. The results were compared with those ob tained by other methods (ultrasound, computed tomography, angiography) . All 12 known tumour manifestations were demonstrated by SRS in seven patients with histologically confirmed gastrinoma. In four patients p reviously non-localized tumour was revealed by SRS, while in seven oth er patients the procedure led to modification of the treatment (primar y tumour resection: n = 3, resection of metastases: n = 2, percutaneou s radiation or chemoembolization: one each). These results suggest the following indications for SRS: (1) staging or re-staging in histologi cally proven gastrinoma and (2) search for primary tumour in clinicall y and biochemically suspected ZES.