Zollinger–Ellison syndrome

Zollinger–Ellison syndrome is a disorder in which gastrin-secreting tumors cause excessive gastric acid production, leading to recurrent peptic ulcers and sometimes diarrhea.

Gastrinoma: A neuroendocrine tumor that secretes gastrin, usually arising in the pancreas or duodenum. The tumor releases the gastrin that drives the syndrome’s excessive acid production.
Fasting serum gastrin: A blood test measuring gastrin concentration after a period without food. Marked elevation is a key biochemical clue, interpreted alongside gastric acidity.
Proton pump inhibitor: A medication that suppresses gastric acid by inhibiting the stomach’s proton pumps. High-dose acid suppression controls symptoms and prevents complications while tumors are evaluated.
Robert Milton Zollinger: An American surgeon known for describing the syndrome now bearing his name. He co-reported the clinical pattern linking pancreatic tumors with severe ulcer disease.
Gastrin: A peptide hormone that stimulates gastric acid secretion and supports growth of the stomach lining. Excess gastrin is the hormonal signal linking tumor activity to acid hypersecretion.
Gastric pH: A measure of how acidic the stomach contents are. A low gastric pH helps distinguish inappropriate gastrin secretion from other causes of high gastrin.
Endoscopic ultrasound: An imaging procedure that combines endoscopy with ultrasound to examine structures near the digestive tract. It can help locate small pancreatic or duodenal gastrinomas.
Edwin Homer Ellison: An American surgeon who co-described Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. His collaboration established the syndrome as a distinct tumor-associated cause of ulcers.
Parietal cell: A stomach cell that secretes hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. These cells respond to gastrin by increasing the stomach’s acid output.
Secretin stimulation test: A diagnostic test that measures serum gastrin response to intravenous secretin. A paradoxical gastrin rise supports gastrinoma when baseline findings are inconclusive.

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