Pancreatic endocrine tumours

Pancreatic endocrine tumours are neuroendocrine tumours, which produce hormones. They originate from the Langerhans islets cells. They account for < 5% of pancreatic tumours and are therefore quite rare.

These tumours are predominantly benign but may be malignant as well. However, their disruptive potential comes rather from their hormone-producing properties rather than their mass effect or invasion.

A few percent of endocrine pancreatic tumours are associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1.

The tumours are named after the hormone they produce:

• Insulinoma
• Gastrinoma
• VIPoma
• Glucagonoma
• Somatostatinoma

Insulinomas cause hypoglycaemia, gastrinomas cause severe peptic ulcer disease, VIPomas cause secretory diarrhoea, and so on.