Duodenal somatostatinoma associated with Von Recklinghausen's disease

Somatostatin-derived amyloidosis: a novel type of amyloidosis associated with well-differentiated somatostatin-producing neuroendocrine tumours

OBJECTIVE

To report the clinicopathologic and proteomic characteristics of a novel form of amyloidosis derived from the precursor protein somatostatin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cases were identified by searching the Mayo Clinic amyloid liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) typing database from 1 January 2008 to 1 September 2020 for specimens with the amyloid signature proteins and abundant somatostatin, in the absence of other amyloid precursor proteins. All available medical records and pathologic materials were examined.

RESULTS

Somatostatin-derived amyloid deposits were found in four patients, two females and two males, with a median age of 61.5 years (range 47-73 years). One patient also had neurofibromatosis-1. The amyloid in each case was associated with a well-differentiated, somatostatin-producing neuroendocrine tumour arising in the small bowel or pancreas. The amyloid deposits were Congo Red-positive and were readily identified by LC- MS/MS analysis. Somatostatin was present exclusively in somatostatin-associated amyloid cases (p < .001), compared to small bowel and pancreas amyloidosis cases of other types. Long-term follow-up is available for one patient who is alive 6 years after initial presentation.

CONCLUSION

We propose that somatostatin-related amyloidosis is a novel localised human amyloid type that arises in association with well-differentiated somatostatin-producing enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Treatment of the associated neuroendocrine tumour may be adequate therapy for these patients.

Duodenal somatostatinoma presenting as obstructive jaundice with the coexistence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in neurofibromatosis type 1: a case with review of the literature

Somatostatinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours, mostly located in the pancreas or duodenum, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 40 million. Duodenal somatostatinomas (DSs) are usually found in association with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), tuberous sclerosis and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) have also been described in NF1, but the association with somatostatinoma is very uncommon. We report the case of a patient with NF1 who presented with obstructive jaundice due to multiple firm nodules around the ampulla of Vater. A pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed and revealed a 1 cm duodenal/ampullary mass which stained positive for somatostatin, together with a GIST also found on the duodenal wall. Despite its rarity, ampullary somatostatinomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of biliary tract dilation in patients with NF1.

Syndrome-Associated Tumors by Organ System

Certain tumors suggest the possibility of a patient harboring a genetic syndrome, particularly in children. Syndrome-associated tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, gynecologic tract, heart, lungs, brain, eye, endocrine organs, and hematopoietic system will be briefly discussed.

Neuroendocrine tumour in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 and HIV

We report the case of an HIV-positive female patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 who was treated for recurrent peptic ulcer disease and later developed diabetes mellitus and chronic diarrhoea. A metastasising somatostatinoma was histologically proven and evidence of a concomitant gastrin-producing neuroendocrine tumour was found. Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are very rare neoplasms originating from a wide variety of endocrine and nervous system tissue with the ability to produce different hormones. A somatostatin- and gastrin-secreting NET in a patient with HIV has not been reported in the literature, to the best of our knowledge. We discuss oncogenic pathomechanisms related to the underlying conditions and propose stringent monitoring for tumours in HIV-positive patients with phakomatoses as well as initiation of antiretroviral therapy.

Pancreatic endocrine tumors

Pancreatic endocrine tumors have been steadily growing in incidence and prevalence during the last two decades, showing an incidence of 4-5/1,000,000 population. They represent a heterogeneous group with very varying tumor biology and prognosis. About half of the patients present clinical symptoms and syndromes related to substances released from the tumors (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, insulinoma, glucagonoma, etc) and the other half are so-called nonfunctioning tumors mainly presenting with symptoms such as obstruction, jaundice, bleeding, and abdominal mass. Ten percent to 15% of the pancreatic endocrine tumors are part of an inherited syndrome such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), neurofibromatosis, or tuberousclerosis. The diagnosis is based on histopathology demonstrating neuroendocrine features such as positive staining for chromogranin A and specific hormones such as gastrin, proinsulin, and glucagon. Moreover, the biochemical diagnosis includes measurement of chromogranins A and B or specific hormones such as gastrin, insulin, glucagon, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in the circulation. In addition to standard localization procedures, radiology (computed tomography [CT] scan, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], ultrasound [US]), somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, and most recently positron emission tomography with specific isotopes such as (11)C-5 hydroxytryptamin ((11)C-5-HTP), fluorodopa and (68)Ga-1,4,7,10-tetra-azacyclododecane-N,N',N″,N‴-tetra-acetic acid (DOTA)-octreotate are performed. Surgery is still one of the cornerstones in the management of pancreatic endocrine tumors, but curative surgery is rarely obtained in most cases because of metastatic disease. Debulking and other cytoreductive procedures might facilitate systemic treatment. Cytotoxic drugs, biological agents, such as somatostatin analogs, alpha interferons, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are routinely used. Tumor-targeted radioactive treatment is available in many centres in Europe and is effective in patients with tumors that express high content of somatostatin receptors type 2 and 5. In the future, treatment will be based on tumor biology and molecular genetics with the aim of so-called personalized medicine.

Periampullary and duodenal neoplasms in neurofibromatosis type 1: two cases and an updated 20-year review of the literature yielding 76 cases

BACKGROUND

Patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are at increased risk to develop tumors throughout the gastrointestinal tract, including neuromas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and periampullary somatostatin-rich carcinoids. Here, we briefly describe two male patients with NF1 and review the recent literature on this topic.

METHODS

Databases for PubMed and MEDLINE were searched for English-language articles since 1989 using a list of keywords, as well as references from review articles.

RESULTS

The results generated by the search yielded 50 articles and 74 cases. Patients most commonly presented with jaundice, weight loss, GI bleeding, or anemia. The mean age at presentation was 47.9 years, with 59% of patients being female. Mean tumor size was 3.8 cm (range 0.9-27 cm). Tumor location was the duodenum (60%), ampulla (31%), pancreas (5%), or bile duct/gallbladder (4%). Tumor type was reported as somatostatinoma (40%), GIST (34%), adenocarcinoma (8%), carcinoid (6%), neurofibroma (5%), schwannoma (4%), or gangliocytic paraganglioma (3%). Treatment included classic Whipple procedure (42%), local excision (25%), pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (17%), and other resection (6%). Mean follow-up was 31 months postresection (range 0-99 months): 75% of patients were alive with no evidence of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

These results underscore the importance of a thorough evaluation for tumors in NF1 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as subsequent surgical management when findings suggest a tumor in the periampullary region, as resection remains the mainstay of treatment.

Surgical management of nonmultiple endocrine neoplasia endocrinopathies: state-of-the-art review

The development of genetic testing has given patients with familial endocrine diseases the opportunity to be identified earlier in life. The importance of this technological advancement cannot be underestimated, as some of these heritable diseases have significant potential for malignancy. This article focuses on the identification and surgical management of familial endocrinopathies of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, and pancreas. Familial endocrinopathies discussed include hereditary nonmedullary carcinoma of the thyroid, Cowden disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, Carney complex, Werner syndrome, familial medullary thyroid carcinoma, Pendred syndrome, hereditary hyperparathyroidism jaw-tumor syndrome, familial isolated hyperparathyroidism, Beckwith- Wiedemann syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis I, von Hippel-Lindau disease, and tuberous sclerosis.

[Somatostatinoma of the Vater's papilla in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease]

BACKGROUND

Somatostatinomas of the gastrointestinal tract secret hormon somatostatin which can cause "inhibitory syndrom" comprising diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis and steatorrheic diarrhea. It is also secreted by the D cells of Langerhans's islands of the pancreas as well as endocrine cells of the stomack, small bowel, salivary glands and parafollicular cells of the thiroid gland. Somatostatinomas of the digestive tract appear within the pancreas and duodenum. Patients suffering from von Recklinghausens's disease are paticularly prone to the somatostatinomas of the duodenum.

CASE REPORT

In this paper we presented a 51-year-old female patient with von Recklinghausen's disease in whom, during the investigation for obstructive jaundice, tumor of the Vater's papilla was found. The patient was submitted to Whipple's duodenopancreatectomy. Histology and immunohistochemistry discovered type B glandular carcinoid tumor with strong antisomatostatin and mild antigastrin immunoreactivity. The patient stayed symptom-free more than four years now.

CONCLUSION

Patients with von Recklinghausen's disease should be examined for other tumors, particularly carcinoids of the duodenum and papilla, especially if the signs of cholestasis are present.

Gl-NETs-uniform but also diverse

In the 100 years since the term Karzinoid was first coined by Siegfried Oberndorfer to describe gastrointestinal tumors that resembled carcinomas but pursued a relatively indolent course, these tumors have captured the attention, not only of internists, surgeons, endocrinologists, and pathologists but of biochemists, physiologists, geneticists, and molecular biologists as well. Initially thought to be limited to the gut, these tumors were soon found to arise in a variety of other organs as well. With the gradual evolution of the concept of a dispersed neuroendocrine cell system and the recognition that it was made up of a galaxy of at least 20 or so functionally distinct cell types (each of which could potentially give rise to a specific type of tumor, each of which could in turn be endocrinologically functional or silent), came the realization that carcinoids should perhaps be considered as a family of neoplasms that, despite sharing certain commonalities, can however, show significant heterogeneity among themselves in some of their other features. While it may seem that our knowledge of this fascinating group of tumors has improved significantly, a closer look reveals that we may have just begun to scratch the surface.