Incidence and morbidity of cholelithiasis in patients receiving chronic octreotide for metastatic carcinoid and malignant islet cell tumors

Abstract

Although greater than 50% of patients receiving octreotide developed cholelithiasis, a much smaller percentage of patients had symptomatic gallbladder disease. Patients receiving chronic octreotide treatment require monitoring for the development of gallstones. However, prophylactic cholecystectomy is not indicated, unless it is performed in conjunction with bowel resection or cytoreductive hepatic surgery.