Effect of somatostatin on the sphincter of Oddi in patients with acute non-biliary pancreatitis

Abstract

Background - Somatostatin has been used to prevent pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography but its effect on acute non-biliary pancreatitis is still unclear. Aim - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the function of the sphincter of Oddi (SO) and the effect of somatostatin on patients with non-biliary pancreatitis. Methods - Twenty patients (18 males, two females) with acute pancreatitis (alcoholic 18, idiopathic two) received SO manometry within one week after admission. After baseline measurement, a bolus dose of somatostatin (Stilamin, Serono) 250 μg was infused slowly, and SO manometry was repeated after five minutes. Continuous infusion of somatostatin 250 μg/h was given for 12 hours after SO manometry. Serum amylase, lipase, glucose, and C reactive protein (CRP) levels were examined before and after somatostatin infusion. Results - SO manometry was unsuccessful in six patients due to contracted sphincter. In the remaining 14 patients, high SO basal pressure (SOBP >40 mm Hg) was found in seven patients. After somatostatin infusion, mean SOBP decreased from 48.8 (29) to 31.9 (22) mm Hg (p<0.01). One patient had a paradoxical reaction to somatostatin (SOBP increased from 30 to 50 mm Hg) while the other 13 patients had a fall in SOBP after somatostatin. One patient developed abdominal pain with a serum amylase level of 2516 IU/1 after SO manometry. No other side effects or changes in amylase, lipase, glucose, or CRP levels were observed in the other 19 patients after SO manometry and somatostatin infusion. Discussion - Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is common in patients with acute non-biliary pancreatitis and in most cases somatostatin can relax the sphincter.