Pancreatic islet cell carcinoma producing gastrin, ACTH, alpha-endorphin, somatostatin and calcitonin.

An islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas is described in a 68-year old woman which clinically produced Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and, later in its course, Cushing syndrome. The tumor was found to contain gastrin, ACTH, alpha-endorphin, somatostatin and calcitonin, by the immunoperoxidase technic. Electron microscopy revealed a single tumor cell type containing secretory granules of variable size, morphology and electron density. It appears that a single tumor cell population produced all five hormones and caused a transition in clinical symptomatology, while undergoing no change in morphology.