Selective catheterization of the pancreatic vein for radioimmunoassay in glucagon-secreting carcinoma of the pancreas.

A glucagon-secreting tumor was seen in the tail of the pancreas in a 69-year-old man. The diagnosis was made by radioimmunoassay of the peripheral blood and the tumor was localized by pancreatic angiography and selective catheterization of the pancreatic veins followed by hormone assay. This technique may be a valuable adjunct in the study of endocrine tumors of the pancreas.