Background

Condition Lookup

Number of Conditions: 2

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (Gastrinoma)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Other Stomach Conditions

Sub-category: Stomach Cancer

Symptoms:
abdominal pain; diarrhea; nausea; vomiting; weight loss; heartburn; gastric ulcers; gastrointestinal bleeding

Root Cause:
Excessive secretion of gastrin due to a gastrin-secreting tumor (gastrinoma), leading to increased stomach acid production.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests to measure gastrin levels, secretin stimulation test, imaging studies (CT, MRI, or somatostatin receptor scintigraphy) to locate gastrinoma, and endoscopic examination.

Treatment:
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to reduce acid production, surgical removal of the gastrinoma, and chemotherapy or targeted therapy for metastatic disease.

Medications:
Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole or esomeprazole ) to reduce gastric acid secretion; somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide ) to inhibit gastrin release; chemotherapeutic agents (e.g., streptozocin and doxorubicin ) for advanced cases.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; occurs in approximately 1–3 individuals per million annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), family history of endocrine tumors.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies; curable if localized gastrinoma is surgically removed, but prognosis worsens with metastatic disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Peptic ulcers, perforation of the stomach or intestines, gastrointestinal bleeding, severe diarrhea, and malnutrition.

Menetrier’s Disease (Hypertrophic Gastropathy)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Other Stomach Conditions

Sub-category: Stomach Cancer

Symptoms:
nausea; vomiting; epigastric pain; diarrhea; anorexia; weight loss; edema due to protein loss

Root Cause:
Overgrowth of the stomach’s mucosal lining, leading to large gastric folds, protein loss, and reduced acid production.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Endoscopy with biopsy of stomach tissue, barium swallow test, serum albumin levels to assess protein loss, and imaging to identify gastric wall thickening.

Treatment:
Symptomatic management, nutritional support, proton pump inhibitors, and sometimes total gastrectomy in severe cases.

Medications:
Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., pantoprazole or lansoprazole ) to reduce gastric secretion; cetuximab , a monoclonal antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has shown promise in some cases.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Extremely rare; incidence is not well-documented.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unknown, though some cases are linked to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in children or H. pylori infection in adults.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; some cases resolve spontaneously, while others progress and require surgical intervention.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe protein loss leading to hypoalbuminemia, gastric adenocarcinoma, malnutrition, and fluid retention (edema).