[Endocrine pancreatic tumor secreting somatostatin and somatocrinin]

A case of endocrine pancreatic tumour secreting the 2 antagonistic peptides that regulate growth hormone, somatostatin and somatocrinin, is reported. Such tumours are extremely rare and only one other case has been published so far, although pancreatic malignant tumours frequently secrete several hormones. In our patient, the association of diabetes with steatorrhoea, hypochlorhydria, anaemia and biliary lithiasis suggested hypersecretion of somatostatin. Acromegaly, suggested by clinical signs, was confirmed by an excess of growth hormone and somatomedin, and pre-operative somatrocrinin assay confirmed its extra-pituitary origin. Finally, the presence of hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid gland hyperplasia and of a Recklinghausen disease constituted a multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome. The significance and implications of this double secretion in vivo are discussed.