Case report: pancreatic cancer presenting with paraneoplastic gastroparesis

Delayed gastric emptying has been observed in some patients with histologically proved pancreatic cancer without evidence of obstruction. The case of a 73-year-old women who had signs and symptoms of delayed gastric emptying is described. Workup included a gastric emptying study that showed 95% retention of the radiolabeled test meal after 2 hours (normal result, <70%). Abdominal computed tomography showed findings consistent with a pancreatic mass. Indirect immunofluorescence study of the patient's serum showed staining of Purkinje cell nuclei and prompted further evaluation for malignant masses. No other cause for the patient's gastroparesis was found, including obstruction. This case illustrates how gastroparesis with no other apparent cause, particularly in elderly patients, may represent a paraneoplastic syndrome. Pancreatic cancer should be included in the list of occult carcinomas that can manifest in this manner.