[Somatostatin in the medical treatment of fistula of the pancreas and the small intestine].

Somatostatin is a peptide hormone which inhibits the secretion of the growth hormone and certain gastrointestinal hormones. Its main effect is to reduce the gastric acid output and inhibit the exocrine function of the pancreas. It was therefore used as an adjuvant therapy in the conservative treatment of ten patients presenting with fistulas of the small intestine or pancreas. The treatment was successful in eight cases. The short halflife of the hormone makes continuous application of the somatostatin as important as the carrying on of the conservative treatment itself.