Duodeno-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

Duodeno-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (DP-ETs) are increasingly diagnosed today due to the widespread use of modern imaging methods. Duodeno-pancreatic endocrine tumours should be treated by radical surgical resection, which offers a high chance for cure when the disease is localized. A high index of suspicion is required in these patients for the presence of a multiple endocrine neoplasia type syndrome. We present four patients with DP-ET surgically treated at our department between 2000 and 2004. Histological/immunohistochemical diagnosis was somatostatin-producing tumour in the first patient, oncocytic endocrine tumour positive for neurone-specific enolase and focally for chromogranin in the second patient, glucagonoma and pancreatic polypeptide-producing endocrine pancreatic tumour in the third patient, and gastrin, somatostatin, calcitonin, insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing tumour in the fourth. The second patient died 6.5 years following surgery due to disseminated disease.