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Further experience with Pseudo-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: Its Place in the management of neuroendocrine duodenal ulceration

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Abstract

The diagnostic and therapeutic criteria that allow differentiation of the Pseudo-Zollinger Ellison syndrome (PsZES) from other ulcerogenic states including neurogenic duodenal ulcer disease, the retained, excluded antrum syndrome (REAS), and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) are documented. Ten additional patients having clinical and diagnostic features of Ps-ZES demonstrated hypergastrinemia of an antral source. Three of the patients had had failed complete vagotomy and drainage procedures and another had a retained excluded antrum after partial gastrectomy. Postoperatively, normal serum gastrin concentrations were attained in the 9 patients who had a definitive antrectomy, with and without concomitant vagotomy. Provocative tests demonstrate that patients with Ps-ZES have an exaggerated serum gastrin response to a meal but not to intravenous secretin. Antral G-cell hyperplasia (AGCH) was observed histochemically in all but one surgically treated patient who is presumed to have G-cell hyperfunction due to pyloric obstruction. One patient with REAS exhibited no appreciable response to a meal or to secretin stimulation; the G cells of the excluded antrum were hyperplastic. None of the patients had historical or endocrine features of multiple endocrine adenopathy, type I (MEA I).

Provocative testing and histochemical determination of the antral G-cell population permits a selective approach to the surgical treatment of patients with persistent or recurrent ulceration due to hyperchlorhydria. Patients with neurogenic duodenal ulcer without hypergastrinemia may reasonably be treated by surgical vagotomy with pyloroplasty or parietal cell vagotomy. Patients proven to have an antral source (without tumor) for their hypergastrinemia (Ps-ZES) should have antrectomy, with or without vagotomy. Patients with gastrinoma (ZES) require excision of tumor(s) with or without total gastrectomy.

Résumé

Les caractères diagnostiques et thérapeutiques qui permettent de distinguer le pseudo-syndrome de Zollinger-Ellison des autres états ulcérogènes, comme l'ulcère duodénal neurogénique, le syndrome du moignon antral après gastrectomie pour exclusion, le syndrome de Zollinger-Ellison, sont décrits. Dix nouveaux malades présentant ce syndrome particulier accusaient une hypergastrinémie d'origine antrale. Trois des malades avaient subi sans succès une vagotomie complète associée à une opération de drainage et un présentait un moignon antral après gastrectomie pour exclusion. Chez neuf sujets qui subirent une antrectomie complétée ou non par une vagotomie, le taux postopératoire de la gastrine fut normal.

Les tests secrétoires démontrent que les malades qui présentent un pseudo-syndrome de ZollingerEllison accusent une élévation exagérée de la gastrine après un repas mais non après l'injection intraveineuse de gastrine. L'hyperplasie des cellules G antrales fut observée lors de l'exploration histochimique chez 9 des 10 malades, le dixième présentant une hyperfonction des cellules G due à une obstruction pylorique. Chez le sujet qui gardait un moignon antral, aucune réponse dans le sens de l'hypergastrinémie ne fut constatée après les tentatives de stimulation par la prise d'un repas ou par l'injection de secrétine, mais les cellules de l'antre exclu étaient hyperplasiques. Aucun des 10 patients ne présentait des antécédents ou des caractères endocrines d'un syndrome d'adénopathie endocrine multiple type I (MEA I).

Les tests sécrétoires comprenant l'exploration histochimique de la population des cellules G antrales permettent d'aborder avec précision le traitement chirurgical des sujets qui présentent un ulcère persistant ou récidivant dû à l'hyperchlorydrie.

Les malades qui sont porteurs d'un ulcère neurologique sans hypergastrinémie relèvent du traitement par la vagotomie associée à la pyloroplastie ou de la vagotomie hypersélective. Ceux dont l'hypergastrinémie est d'origine antrale (pseudosyndrome de Zollinger-Ellison) doivent être traités par antrectomie associée ou non à la vagotomie. En revanche, le gastrinome (Z.E.S.) nécessite l'exérèse de la tumeur ou des tumeurs complétée ou non par une gastrectomie totale.

Resumen

Se aporta documentación sobre los criterios diagnósticos y terapéuticos que permiten la diferenciación entre el síndrome Pseudo-Zollinger Ellison (SPs-ZE) y otras condiciones ulcerogénicas tales como la enfermedad ulcerosa duodenal, el síndrome de antro gástrico retenido y excluído (SARE) y el síndrome de Zollinger-Ellison (SZE). Diez patientes con las características clínicas y diagnósticas del SPs-ZE presentaron hipergastrinemia de origen antral. Tres de estos pacientes habían sido sometidos a procedimientos fallidos de vagotomía total con drenaje y otro exhibía un antro retenido y excluído después de gastrectomía parcial. Se lograron concentraciones postoperatorias normales de gastrina sérica en los nueve pacientes sometidos a antrectomía definitiva con y sin vagotomía concomitante. Las pruebas de estimulación demostraron que los pacientes con SPs-ZE exhiben una respuesta exagerada en el nivel de gastrina sérica a una comida, pero no a la secretina administrada por vía intravenosa. La hiperplasia antral de células G (HACG) fue observada histológicamente en todos los pacientes operados, excepto uno, en quien se presumía hiperfunción de células G debida a obstrucción pilórica. Un patiente con SARE no presenté respuesta apreciable a la comida o a la estimulación con secretina; las células G del antro excluído se encontraron hiperplásicas. Ninguno de los pacientes tenía historia o características clínicas de la adenopatía endocrina múltiple Tipo I (AEM I).

Las pruebas de estimulación, incluyendo las determinaciones histoquímicas, de la población de células G antrales, permite el enfoque selectivo del tratamiento quirúrgico de pacientes con ulceración persistente o recurrente debida a hiperclorhidria. Los pacientes con úlcera duodenal neurogénica sin hipergastrinemia pueden ser razonablemente tratados con vagotomía y piloroplastia o con vagotomía de células parietales; aquellos pacientes en quienes se compruebe una fuente antral (libre de tumor) de su hipergastrinemia (SPs-ZE) deben ser sometidos a antrectomía, con o sin vagotomía, y aquellos, con tumor gastrinoma (SZE), demandan resección del tumor(es) con o sin gastrectomía total.

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Supported in part by the McGreevy, Morales, Foley, Miller, Plummer and Svoboda Research Funds.

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Friesen, S.R., Tomita, T. Further experience with Pseudo-Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: Its Place in the management of neuroendocrine duodenal ulceration. World J. Surg. 8, 552–559 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01654936

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