Beneficial Effect of Oral Lithium Carbonate in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cholera Syndrome

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Abstract
PANCREATIC cholera syndrome is characterized by profuse, watery diarrhea and hypokalemia associated with a non-beta islet-cell neoplasm of the pancreas.1 About half the patients with the syndrome have metastases at diagnosis2; chemotherapy with streptozocin can produce remissions.1 In patients without metastases, the disease may be cured by resection of the tumor.2 Agents such as prednisone3 and indomethacin4 may reduce or abolish the diarrhea.We demonstrate that oral lithium therapy can substantially reduce diarrhea in a patient with pancreatic cholera.Case ReportA 60-year-old woman had had diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cholera syndrome caused by a metastatic non-beta islet-cell carcinoma. . . .