investigation
Last reviewed 07/2021
Diagnosis is made on the basis of:
- high fasting plasma gastrin
- high gastric acid secretion:
- usually in excess of 100 mmol/h
- diminished response to pentagastrin
localisation of tumour:
- demonstrable pancreatic or gastrointestinal tumour - by CT or venous sampling for gastrin
- more than 90% of gastrinomas have somatostatin receptors, and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy has been reported to be an especially sensitive method to image gastrinomas (1)
- also, with a skilled operator, endoscopic ultrasonography (also combined with biopsy) is also a very sensitive method to detect pancreatico-duodenal tumours
Reference:
- de Herder WW and Lamberts SWJ. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2004; Volume 18(4): 477-495.