Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia of unknown etiology.

A 45 years old male presented to the emergency department with palpitations, headache and apprehension. His electrocardiogram revealed bidirectional ventricular tachycardia. He remained vitally stable and responded to intravenous beta-blocker.

Characterization of the somatostatin receptor subtype in a bronchial carcinoid tumor responsible for Cushing's syndrome.

Small ACTH-secreting carcinoid tumors responsible for Cushing's syndrome are often difficult to localize using available radiological investigations. Somatostatin receptors have been found in about 90% of carcinoid tumors studied, leading to a new approach for the localization of tumors or metastasis by using radiolabeled somatostatin analogs. We report a case of Cushing's syndrome due to an ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoid tumor, completely suppressible with octreotide treatment and evidenced by body scintigraphy with 111In-labeled pentreotide.

[Hypoparathyroidism after thyroid surgery].

The authors report their experience of hypoparathyroidism in thyroïd surgery: 538 patients underwent thyroidectomy, including 45% bilateral resections. In post operative period, accurate tests allowed to detect non permanent hypocalcemias in 60% of cases. Severe hypocalcemia (1.

[Treatment of acromegaly with sustained-release lanreotide. A new somatostatin analog].

The recovery of acromegaly is not obtained in about 50 percent of cases treated with radiotherapy and/or transsphenoidal surgery. Somatostatin analogs prescribed in such cases are effective but need either several subcutaneous injections a day or continuous infusions with pumps. Long-acting formulations of the new somatostatin analog lanreotide should avoid such drawbacks.