Somatostatinomas are a tumor of the delta cells of the endocrine pancreas that produces somatostatin.
In a normal subject, actions of somatostatin include:[citation needed] This explains how abnormally elevated somatostatin can cause diabetes mellitus, by inhibiting insulin secretion, steatorrhoea by inhibiting cholecystokinin and secretin, gall stones by inhibiting cholecystokinin which normally induce gallbladder myocytes to contract, and hypochlorhydria caused by inhibiting gastrin, which normally stimulate acid secretion.
[citation needed] Somatostatinomas are associated with calcium deposits called psammoma bodies.
[citation needed] SRS (Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy) – It is a radio-nucleotide scan by giving Octreotide tagged with Indium111 isotope, which shows an increase in uptake by the tumour cells.
[4] Treatment is by chemotherapy with streptozocin, dacarbazine, doxorubicin or by 'watchful waiting' and surgical debulking via Whipple procedure and other resections of the gastrointestinal organs affected.