Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Your healthcare provider will begin by asking about your medical history and symptoms. If your history and symptoms suggest Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, they will order lab tests to check your gastrin levels and/or your stomach acid levels. If these results are high, they may use one or several imaging tests to look for gastrinomas in your digestive system. They’ll want to know how many you have, where they are and how big they are. In some cases, they may want to sample one to check it for cancer.

What tests are involved in the diagnosis of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?

Tests may include:

• Blood test. A blood test can show high levels of gastrin in your circulation. High gastrin can be caused by other things besides gastrinomas, but it’s a place to start. For the test, your healthcare provider will draw a small sample of blood from one of your veins and test it in a lab.
• Stomach acid test. Your healthcare provider may want to directly test your stomach acid levels. They do this by drawing a fluid sample from your stomach through a nasogastric tube (you’ll have medication to make this easier). This is sometimes called a gastric acid secretion test.
• Radiology. Your healthcare provider may try to spot gastrinomas with various imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, a CT scan or an MRI. These methods are relatively noninvasive because they don’t go inside your body. However, gastrinomas don’t always show up on these tests.
• Endoscopy. Endoscopic procedures can give your healthcare provider a closer look inside your body. These procedures involve passing an endoscope (a lighted camera on a long tube) down your throat and into your stomach and duodenum. An upper endoscopy lets your provider see your upper gastrointestinal tract and nearby organs, including your pancreas. An endoscopic ultrasound combines endoscopy and ultrasound together for more detailed images. Your provider may use endoscopic ultrasound to guide a needle to your tumor and take a sample.