Question
What is a gastrinoma? What causes gastrinomas?
Answer
A gastrinoma is a non-beta cell tumor of the pancreas that excessively secretes gastrin, leading to overproduction of stomach acid and eventually causing severe and stubborn peptic ulcers. Gastrinomas are typically treated with surgery. These tumors are often found in the body or tail of the pancreas, sometimes in the head as well. Because the tumors are often hidden or sporadic, they are frequently difficult to detect during surgery. In the past, superficial tumors were usually treated with simple tumor resection; deeper tumors required resection of the body and tail of the pancreas or pancreatoduodenectomy; and in cases where the tumor could not be found, a blind resection of the body and tail of the pancreas was performed. However, symptoms often recur after surgery.