Necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates receiving octreotide for the management of congenital hyperinsulinism

The somatostatin analog octreotide was used for the first time in the treatment of an infant with congenital hyperinsulinism in 1986. Since then, it is commonly used in the management of congenital hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemias. Despite a wide variety of potential adverse reactions, octreotide is generally well tolerated. It has been extensively demonstrated that octreotide reduces the splanchnic blood flow in a dose-dependent manner, affecting the entire gastrointestinal tract, and some concern has been recently raised regarding the potential implications of this effect in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates receiving octreotide for the management of congenital hyperinsulinism. The aim of this report is to present a series of patients treated at our institution in which we observed this association, and review the current related literature.