Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is a disease caused by an excess of gastrin that is secreted by a tumour called gastrinoma. The nature of the tumour is benign to malignant, it occurs most often in the pancreas, but it can also occur in G-cells of the gastrointestinal tract (most often in the duodenum or stomach).

High levels of gastrin stimulate the production of gastric acid by the parietal cells of the stomach, leading to gastric hyperacidity. Hyperacidity causes recurrent peptic ulcers mainly in the duodenum, but they can also occur in the stomach, oesophagus or jejunum. Chymus is not enough to alkalize enough, its increased acidity causes reduced efficiency of digestive enzymes and damage to the mucous membrane of the small intestine, which can manifest itself in diarrhoea and steatorrhea (pancreatic lipase is ineffective at low pH). Other manifestations of the disease are related to peptic ulcers - pain, bleeding into the digestive tract or loss of appetite.

Related Articles

 * Gastrin
 * Gastrinoma
 * Gastroduodenal ulcer disease