OGC P54 Catastrophic dumping after gastrectomy in a patient with absent pituitary treated with octreotide – case report

Abstract

Abstract Background Gastrectomy results in a profound change in appetite, satiety and response to food. Most people will adapt and manage to maintain adequate enteral nutrition, however severe symptoms can hamper quality of life. Early dumping, defined as noxious symptoms occurring within an hour of food, arises due to a combination of vastly increased satiety gut hormone secretion and fluid shifts. Late dumping (reactive hypoglycaemia) occurs due to enhanced post-prandial incretin hormone secretion. We present a case of severe dumping in a patient with absent pituitary treated with the global counter-regulatory hormone octreotide. Methods A 71-year-old patient with absent pituitary underwent total gastrectomy and oesophago-jejunal anastomosis for a greater curve gastric adenocarcinoma. Post-operatively, the patient developed an overall aversion to eating along with significant nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal fullness, and tachycardia. Anti-emetics including droperidol, metoclopramide, and haloperidol yielded limited response. NJ feeding also triggered symptoms and was stopped. Parenteral nutrition was the principal source of diet. A trial of a somatostatin analogue, octreotide, resulted in significant improvement of patient symptoms. A dose increase and then conversion to monthly lanreotide was tolerated well resulting in complete resolution of symptoms and no side effects. Results The pituitary gland and hypothalamus are central to regulating appetite and satiety through complex signalling pathways. Hormone signals, including GLP-1, GIP, PYY and ghrelin act on central circuits within the hypothalamus to modulate intake, gastric emptying, and satiety. With an absent pituitary, these hormonal signalling pathways including somatostatin are disrupted. Octreotide therapy likely works through a combination of central suppression of gut hormone signalling as well as peripheral reduction in gut hormone secretion. Conclusions Dumping syndrome is a multifactorial, quality of life limiting consequence of upper GI resection. In patients with altered central appetite control circuitry the symptoms may be so severe as to prevent any enteral intake, including via NJ tube. Interestingly, considering this an endocrinology problem and acting to suppress all hormonal signalling with octreotide had immediate and enduring success in the presented case. This may represent a route for management of patients with significant dumping symptoms and nutritional compromise after gastrectomy or oesophagectomy.