VIPoma Crisis: Immediate and life saving reduction of massive stool volumes on starting treatment with octreotide

We report the case of a 57-year-old male physician who presented with a life threatening secretory and refractory diarrhoea of around 20 L/day. This was complicated by severe hypotension, hypokalaemia, hypercalcaemia, renal failure requiring dialysis, metabolic acidosis, cardiorespiratory arrest and ventilation for 12 days. His diarrhoea responded immediately to the first dose of a therapeutic trial of subcutaneous octreotide 100 mcg 8 hourly which was started on clinical grounds alone before any investigations were carried out. After one day he was extubated and his blood pressure returned to normal. When a functioning neuroendocrine tumour is suspected clinically, the use of octreotide can, as in this case, be life saving

Insulinoma: a rare cause of a common metabolic disorder - hypoglycaemia

We describe the first patient diagnosed with an insulinoma in Oman and successfully managed with a distal laparoscopic pancreatectomy. The importance of obtaining a good history from the patient and/or his family is stressed. All patients with loss of consciousness must have a Reflow check carried out and, if hypoglycaemic, this should be documented in the laboratory and a simultaneous serum sample stored for measurement of insulin, C-peptide proinsulin and sulphonylurea levels, if subsequently indicated. If magnetic resonance imaging fails to locate the tumour, endoscopic ultrasound of the pancreas, or indium 111 labelled octreotide scanning is indicated if the patient's hypoglycaemia has previously responded to treatment with octreotide