Scintigraphic long-term follow-up of a patient with metastatic glucagonoma

Two years after resection of a pancreatic glucagonoma, scintigraphy with 111indium-labeled octreotide revealed hepatic metastases in a 48-yr-old man. Hepatic metastases were also visualized by CT, whereas an additional lesion in the chest was seen only by scintigraphy. A total of 11 follow-up examinations over 46 months proved somatostatin receptor scintigraphy to monitor reliably somatostatin receptor expression, growth and dissemination of glucagonoma metastases, and to indicate therapeutic readjustment if necessary. The survival time of the patient is now >75 months, in comparison with a mean survival time of 59 months reported for metastatic glucagonoma.