Abnormal liver function tests in a patient fed with total parenteral nutrition and treated with octreotide

Octreotide is a long-acting analog of somatostatin, a hypothalamic release- inhibiting hormone. It is sometimes used therapeutically to relieve symptom s associated with acromegaly and gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tumors. I t has also been used in the treatment of short-bowel syndrome and gastroint estinal and biliary fistulae. We report a patient with biliary leakage due to Marizzi's syndrome treated with total parenteral nutrition and octreotid e who developed abnormal liver function tests that improved when the two tr eatments were stopped. We also review the literature regarding abnormal liv er function tests in patients on total parenteral nutrition. (C) Elsevier S cience Inc. 2001.