Differential Diagnosis and Management of Diarrhea in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors.

ABSTRACT: Diarrhea is a recurrent symptom in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and can represent different etiologies; thus, differential diagnosis is challenging. This paper distinguishes the different causes of chronic diarrhea in patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs, with the aim to identify the most appropriate therapeutic approach. Underlying causes of diarrhea can be multifactorial, including not only diarrhea that is related to specific hormonal hypersecretory syndromes, but also diarrhea that is secondary to the following: extensive surgery which can cause pancreatic exocrine insufficiency or short bowel syndrome, treatment with somatostatin analogs or other antineoplastic agents, and bile acid malabsorption. After initial management of diarrhea with general treatments (dietary

SUBMITTER: Pusceddu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7464810 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature