Warning Signs Of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1

Abdominal Pain

A common symptom that occurs in individuals who have MEN 1 is abdominal pain, the source of which is the development of tumors called gastrinomas. This type of tumor forms in the lymph glands, pancreas, and duodenum. Gastrinomas secrete abnormally high levels of a chemical involved with digestion called gastrin. When the stomach is exposed to excessive amounts of gastrin, it releases unusually high quantities of gastric acids. This overproduction of gastric acids results in severe diarrhea and the development of severe ulcers in the small intestine, duodenum, and stomach. Ulcers can cause widespread cramping, inflammation, and bleeding in the abdominal region. When a patient with gastrinomas develops ulcers, it is called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The ulcers that occur in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 patients are much more serious and painful than everyday intestinal or stomach ulcers. The greater severity of these ulcers is the reason why over half of the individuals diagnosed with MEN 1 report chronic abdominal pain. These ulcers can become so severe when untreated that they may result in the rupture of the intestine or stomach, and they have the potential to result in death.