Definition:
VIPoma, otherwise known as the Verner Morrison Syndrome (Verner, J. V., and Morrison, A. B. (1958) Islet cell tumor and a syndrome of refractory watery diarrhea and hypokalemia. Am J Med 1958; 374) or Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide-oma, is a rare functional tumour of the pancreas which is characterized by the over production or producing excess amounts of VIP, which results in sever watery diarrhea, hypokalaemia and hypochlothydria (Buther, G. (2003) Gastroenterology: An Illustrated Colour Text, p. 60).
Diagnosis:
Clinical picture, fasting VIP plasma dosage, CT scan are used to confirm the condition of VIPoma . Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy is used to localize and confirm the tumor.
Treatment:
Treatment of the water and electrolyte abnormalities are the first to be addressed as this will help stop or hasten the diarrhea and dehydration. Administration of Octreotide can also be used to temper symptoms.
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms of Vipoma often include prolonged watery diarrhea and hypokalemia and dehydration due to excess amounts of VIP. Other symptoms include the following, to wit: Lethargy, weakness of the muscle, nausea, frequent vomiting and muscle cramp like abdominal pain are also some of the symptoms seen.
Causes:
VIPoma is commonly caused by non-ß islet-cell tumors.
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