[Somatostatin in the treatment of pancreatic diseases]

Somatostatin and its synthetic analogues have important physiological roles in human. These compounds antagonize the endocrine and exocrine secretion of pancreas, which provide theoretical ground for their use in patients with pancreatic diseases. For a quarter of a century many researchers have investigated the effect of somatostatin and octreotide in animal models of experimental pancreatitis and in patients with acute pancreatitis, and in those with complications of pancreatic operations, fistulas and pseudocysts. In most of these studies the use of synthetic octreotide with longer duration proved to be more efficient. In experimental and acute pancreatitis somatostatin and octreotide were less effective than expected, however, they proved to be helpful in preventing complications of pancreatic operations and in the therapy of fistulas and pseudocysts.