OctreoScan positive Crohn's disease mimicking an ileal carcinoid tumor

Somatostatin receptors have been identified in many tissues throughout the human body. Alterations in the expression of somatostatin receptors have been reported in many disease states including both tumorous and nontumorous conditions. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy utilizing OctreoScan (Mallinckrodt Medical.. Inc., St. Louis, MO), a radiolabled form of octreotide, has been reported to be a highly sensitive imaging technique for identifying pathology, such as neuroendocrine tumors, that are somatostatin receptor dense. Unfortunately, many conditions cause an increase in the quantity of somatostatin receptors and therefore may cause false positive Octreoscans. In this report, we discuss the alterations in somatostatin receptors that occur with Crohn's disease and describe a case of an OctreoScan-positive inflammatory mass mimicking a carcinoid tumor.