HEPATIC GASTRINOMA

A solitary hepatic tumor in a 50-year-old woman, which was observed as a hemangioma, ultimately was resected because it increased in size. T he tumor volume doubling time was 28.8 months over the observed period of 30 months. The histologic diagnosis was carcinoid tumor. Immunohis tochemical staining showed strong focal reactivity for gastrin and dif fuse reactivity for pancreatic polypeptide, vasointestinal polypeptide , calcitonin, and parathormone. Preoperative gastric hyperacidity with diarrhea and a body weight loss of 7 kg, moderately controlled by cim etidine on admission, suggested high serum gastrin levels produced by the tumor. Her symptoms resolved after surgery, and she had a normal s erum gastrin level with negative secretin stimulation test results. A review of six cases of hepatic gastrinoma suggests that surgical resec tion, if feasible, would be the treatment of choice.