How is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome diagnosed?
The patient's history and physical exam may make a healthcare provider suspect Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The most important test to help diagnose this condition is a blood test. This blood test measures the level of the hormone gastrin, which is extremely high in someone with ZES. A person with ZES also has abnormally increased amounts of stomach acid.
Other special tests may also be needed when ZES is suspected.
The doctor may have the patents undergo the following diagnostic procedures:
Blood tests. A sample of blood is analyzed in the laboratory to see whether the patient have an increased gastrin level in the patient's blood. An elevated gastrin level may indicate tumors in the patient's pancreas or duodenum.
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The patient's doctor inserts a thin, flexible instrument with a light and video camera called an endoscope down the patient's throat and into the patient's stomach and duodenum to look for ulcers. Through the endoscope, the patient's doctor may remove a tissue sample (biopsy) from the patient's duodenum for examination in the laboratory to identify the presence of gastrin-producing tumors.
Imaging techniques. In order to pinpoint the location of tumors, the patient's doctor may use imaging techniques that include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, ultrasound imaging (generating sound waves either through the patient’s skin or using an endoscope) or a nuclear scan. In a nuclear scan, radioactive substances introduced into the patient's body permit a gamma camera to detect tumors. |
