BACKGROUND Acute variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients is an emergency with a high risk of rebleeding and death. Endoscopic procedures such as sclerotherapy or banding, combined or not with drugs such as octreotide could be considered. AIM To assess the value of octreotide in the control of acute variceal bleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ninety-two patients were randomized into three groups...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES No medical treatment is available for polycystic liver disease, a frequent manifestation of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 6 months of octreotide (40 mg every 28 days) therapy limited kidney volume growth more effectively than placebo in 12 patients with ADPKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTIC...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Studies of octreotide have not demonstrated a consistent benefit in efficacy or safety compared with conventional therapies. This study statistically pooled existing trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of octreotide for esophageal variceal hemorrhage. METHODS We identified randomized trials of octreotide for variceal hemorrhage from computerized databases, scientific ...

Acute pancreatitis is caused by the activation of digestive enzymes in the pancreas and a possible treatment, therefore, is the inhibition of enzyme secretion. This approach is somewhat controversial, however, as it is not clear whether pancreatic secretion continues to occur during the course of acute pancreatitis. Animal studies show an appreciable reduction of secretion in the inflamed pancr...

chylothorax is the most common cause of pleural effusion in neonates. it is usually idiopathic. neonatal chylothorax successfully respond to octreotide treatment and can reduce the duration of hospitalization. a number of therapeutic interventions have been used to reduce chyle production and promote resolution of a chylothorax. initial management typically includes restriction or temporary ces...

BACKGROUND Symptoms associated with small intestinal involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are usually severe and resistant to treatment. OBJECTIVES To assess the safety and efficacy of octreotide in refractory small intestinal disease complicating SSc. METHODS Seven female patients (aged from 37 to 64 years old) with SSc were included in the study. All of them had symptoms ...

Treatment with the somatostatin receptor (sst) subtype 2 predominant analogs octreotide and lanreotide induces clinical and biochemical cure in approximately 65% of acromegalic patients. GH-secreting pituitary adenomas, which are not controlled, also express sst(5). We compared the acute effects of octreotide and SOM230, a new somatostatin analog with high affinity for sst(1,2,3,5) on hormone r...

BACKGROUND Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is defined as having more than 20 liver cysts and can present as a severe and disabling condition. Most symptoms are caused by the mass effect of the liver size and include abdominal pain and distension. The somatostatin analogues octreotide and lanreotide have proven to reduce polycystic liver volume. mTOR inhibitors such as everolimus inhibit cell pro...

Thyrotrophin secreting pituitary adenomas are a rare cause of recurrent thyrotoxicosis. We report on a 47 year old woman with an 8-year history of this condition. In this case the somatostatin analogue, octreotide, normalized thyroid hormone levels. It was associated with marked tumour shrinkage, with striking reduction of the suprasellar extension and improved appearances in the region of the ...