Etymed
gastrinoma
Definition
A tumor that produces gastrin, a hormone that stimulates gastric acid secretion
Clinical context
A 52-year-old man presents with severe peptic ulcer disease that is unresponsive to standard medical therapy. He has chronic diarrhea and weight loss. Laboratory studies reveal extremely elevated serum gastrin levels. Imaging demonstrates a mass in the pancreas. His symptoms are attributed to excessive gastric acid production from a gastrin-secreting tumor.
Mnemonic
Gastrinoma causes Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: 'Gastrin' = 'Gut acid' = 'Gastric acid excess'