[Somatostatin. A new hypotonic agent in digestive tract radiography? Preliminary study]

16 patients undergoing a conventional barium meal were treated with somatostatin, a hormone of the APUD (Amine Content Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation) system, which is known to abolish gastric and pancreatic secretion and to exert an inhibitory effect on the motility, to evaluate its hypotonizing effect and usefulness in gastrointestinal radiology. A good hypotonic response elicited in the duodenum and, to a minor extent, in the small bowel, short lasting, consented an hypotonic duodenography during the standard examination with no interference on the barium intestinal transit in 14/16 patients. Inhibition of gastric and pancreatic secretions induced by the drug can promote a better mucosal coating in course of double contrast examinations.