Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) I

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Wermer syndrome; MEN I


Symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person, and depend on which gland is involved. They may include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Anxiety
  • Black, tarry stools
  • Bloated feeling after meals
  • Burning, aching, or hunger discomfort in the upper abdomen or lower chest that is relieved by antacids, milk, or food
  • Decreased sexual interest
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Lack of menstrual periods, infertility, or failure to produce breast milk (in women)
  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of body or facial hair (in men)
  • Loss of coordination
  • Mental changes or confusion
  • Muscle pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sensitivity to the cold
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Vision problems
  • Weakness

Signs and tests

Signs may include:

  • Coma (if low blood sugar is untreated)
  • High blood calcium level
  • Kidney stones
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low blood sugar
  • Pituitary problems (such as breast discharge from too much prolactin, a hormone that controls breast milk production)

Tests to diagnose tumors involved with MEN I may include:

  • Blood cortisol level
  • CT scan of abdomen
  • CT scan of the head
  • Fasting blood sugar
  • Insulin test
  • MRI of the abdomen
  • MRI of the head
  • Parathyroid biopsy
  • Serum adrenocorticotropic hormone
  • Serum calcium
  • Serum follicle stimulating hormone
  • Serum gastrin
  • Serum glucagon
  • Serum luteinizing hormone
  • Serum parathyroid hormone
  • Serum prolactin
  • Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (rarely used)
  • Ultrasound of the neck

Review Date: 03/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)