Somatostatin - plasma
Last updated: Saturday, 27, March, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | 10 mL blood in a lithium heparin tube. Plasma must be stored frozen until assay. |
| Method | Immunoassay. |
| Reference Interval | 90-150 ng/L. |
| Application | Diagnosis of functional somatostatinoma (diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis, steatorrhoea, hypochlorhydria). Functional tumours usually occur as islet cell tumours in the pancreas. Some non-functional somatostatinomas (usually duodenal) may be diagnosed by an increase in somatostatin after infusion of calcium and pentagastrin. |
| Interpretation | Hypersomatostatinaemia with a somatostatinoma syndrome and a pancreatic tumour is diagnostic of a functional somatostatinoma. |
| Reference | Tomassetti P et al. Ann Oncol 2001; 2: 95-99. |