Surgical treatment of pancreatic vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-secreting tumor: a case report

A 68-year-old woman presented with secretory watery diarrhea causing hypokalimia, hypoalbuminemia and dehydration for 5 years. Subsequent investigations including abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography scanning revealed a mass measuring 7 x 6 cm in the pancreatic tail. The diagnosis of pancreatic VIPomas was suspected on the basis of clinical symptoms. The patient underwent distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy after resuscitation of electrolyte imbalance, dehydration and malnutrition. The pathological examination with histoimmunochemical stain confirmed the diagnosis. Postoperative course is uneventful and the patient does not have symptoms any longer during the follow-up period.