Insulinomas,the most common cause of hypoglycemia related to endogenous hyperinsulinism,occur in 1-4 people per million of the general population.Common autonomic symptoms of insulinoma include diaphroresis,tremor,and...Insulinomas,the most common cause of hypoglycemia related to endogenous hyperinsulinism,occur in 1-4 people per million of the general population.Common autonomic symptoms of insulinoma include diaphroresis,tremor,and palpitations,whereas neuroglycopenenic symptoms include confusion,behavioural changes,personality changes,visual disturbances,seizure,and coma.Diagnosis of suspected cases is based on standard endocrine tests,especially the prolonged fasting test.Non-invasive imaging procedures,such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging,are used when a diagnosis of insulinoma has been made to localize the source of pathological insulin secretion.Invasive modalities,such as endoscopic ultrasonography and arterial stimulation venous sampling,are highly accurate in the preoperative localization of insulinomas and have frequently been shown to be superior to noninvasive localization techniques.The range of techniques available for the localization of insulinomas means thatblind resection can be avoided.Intraoperative manual palpation of the pancreas by an experienced surgeon and intraoperative ultrasonography are both sensitive methods with which to finalize the location of insulinomas.A high proportion of patients with insulinomas can be cured with surgery.In patients with malignant insulinomas,an aggressive medical approach,including extended pancreatic resection,liver resection,liver transplantation,chemoembolization,or radiofrequency ablation,is recommended to improve both survival and quality of life.In patients with unresectable or uncontrollable insulinomas,such as malignant insulinoma of the pancreas,several techniques should be considered,including administration of ocreotide and/or continuous glucose monitoring,to prevent hypoglycemic episodes and to improve quality of life.展开更多
BACKGROUND:Although insulinomas are very rare tumors, they are the most common pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.The incidence in general population is 1-4 per 1 000 000 yearly but the incidence is higher in autopsy...BACKGROUND:Although insulinomas are very rare tumors, they are the most common pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.The incidence in general population is 1-4 per 1 000 000 yearly but the incidence is higher in autopsy studies. The malignancy of insulinomas is difficult to be predicted on the basis of their histological features,and the current WHO classification has been re-evaluated.This review aimed to summarize classical knowledge with current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of insulinomas. DATA SOURCES:A Medline search using terms"insulinoma", "treatment"and"neuroendocrine tumors"was conducted. Additional references were sourced from key articles. RESULTS:Surgery is the treatment of choice for insulinoma and has an extremely high success rate.Medical treatment is also available but only for patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo surgical treatment.Preoperative localization is necessary for planning the surgical approach.Many methods exist for localization of an insulinoma and can be invasive and non-invasive.The combination of biphasic thin section helical CT and endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)has an almost 100% sensitivity in localizing insulinomas.Laparoscopic ultrasound is mandatory to localize intraoperatively these tumors.EUS-guided fine needle tattoing is an alternative method of localization in case of lack of laparoscopic ultrasound. CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic resection for benign insulinomas is the procedure of choice,whereas pancreatectomy is reserved for large,potentially malignant tumors.展开更多
Insulinomas are rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that are most commonly benign,solitary,and intrapancreatic. Uncontrolled insulin overproduction from the tumor produces neurological and adrenergic symptoms of hyp...Insulinomas are rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that are most commonly benign,solitary,and intrapancreatic. Uncontrolled insulin overproduction from the tumor produces neurological and adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia. Biochemical diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of Whipple's triad,along with corroborating measurements of blood glucose,insulin,proinsulin,C-peptide,β-hydroxybutyrate,and negative tests for hypoglycemic agents during a supervised fasting period. This is accompanied by accurate preoperative localization using both invasive and non-invasive imaging modalities. Following this,careful preoperative planning is required,with the ensuing procedure being preferably carried out laparoscopically. An integral part of the laparoscopic approach is the application of laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound,which is indispensable for accurate intraoperative localization of the lesion in the pancreatic region. The extent of laparoscopic resection is dependent on preoperative and intraoperative findings,but most commonly involves tumor enucleation or distal pancreatectomy. When performed in an experienced surgical unit,laparoscopic resection is associated with minimal mortality and excellent long-term cure rates. Furthermore,this approach confers equivalent safety and efficacy rates to open resection,while improving cosmesis and reducing hospital stay. As such,laparoscopic resection should be considered in all cases of benign insulinoma where adequate surgical expertise is available.展开更多
Objective: To study the methods for diagnosis andtreatment of insulinoma.Methods: Clinical data from 105 patients with insuli-noma who had been admitted to our hospital from Ju-ly 1966 to December 1999 were retrospect...Objective: To study the methods for diagnosis andtreatment of insulinoma.Methods: Clinical data from 105 patients with insuli-noma who had been admitted to our hospital from Ju-ly 1966 to December 1999 were retrospectively re-viewed.Results: Fasting blood glucose values were less than2.75 mmol/L in all the patients. Fasting serum insulinvalues in 60 patients were higher than 25 mU/L, av-erage 65 mU/L. Before operation, carcinoma was de-tected in 2 of 45 patients by ultrasound scan, and in10 of 35 by CT. Enucleation of insulinoma was per-formed in 60 patients. Operations included insulinomaresection (35 patients), distal resection of the pancreas(8), and biopsy (2).Conclusion: Whipple’s triad and the index of insulinrelease】0.3 are the major variables for diagno-sis Intraoperative exploration and ultrasound scan are themethods for the localization of insulinoma Enucleation ofbenign insulinoma is preferred, but proximal or distal re-sections of the pancreas are required only for large, deep ormultiple展开更多
BACKGROUND: The etiology of insulinoma is poorly understood. Few studies investigated the possible roles of environmental factors and lifestyle in the pathogenesis of insulinoma. The aim of this study is to identify r...BACKGROUND: The etiology of insulinoma is poorly understood. Few studies investigated the possible roles of environmental factors and lifestyle in the pathogenesis of insulinoma. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors associated with occurrence of insulinoma in the Chinese population. METHODS: This study consisted of 196 patients with insulinoma and 233 controls. Demographic information of the patients and controls and risk factors of the disease were analyzed. Univariate and unconditional multivariable logistic regression analyses were made to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and possible risk factors. RESULTS: Approximately 68.88% (135/196) of the patients were from rural areas in contrast to 10.30% (24/233) of the controls (P<0.0001). This difference was confirmed by the multivariate analysis (OR=4.950; 95% CI: 2.928-8.370). Family history of pancreatic endocrine tumor (OR=16.754; 95% CI: 2.125-132.057) and other cancers (OR=2.360; 95% CI: 1.052-5.291) was also related to a high-risk population of insulinoma. CONCLUSION: Rural residents or people who have a family history of pancreatic endocrine tumor and other cancers are a high-risk population of insulinoma.展开更多
Insulinomas are the most common category of pancreatic endocrine tumors,with an annual incidence of 1-4 cases per million people.Most are intrapancreatic,benign and solitary.Therefore,they have an excellent prognosis ...Insulinomas are the most common category of pancreatic endocrine tumors,with an annual incidence of 1-4 cases per million people.Most are intrapancreatic,benign and solitary.Therefore,they have an excellent prognosis after surgical resection.However,the localization diagnosis of insulinomas still poses a challenge to surgeons and radiologists.In this case,the tumor was occult and could not be found by either abdominal enhanced spiral computed tomography(CT)or ultrasonography.Therefore,we tried a new method of CT scanning and localized the tumor.展开更多
BACKGROUND:Pancreatic fistula (PF) remains the most challenging complication in pancreatic surgery,yet few published studies have focused on the risk factors for postoperative PF in patients undergoing surgery for ins...BACKGROUND:Pancreatic fistula (PF) remains the most challenging complication in pancreatic surgery,yet few published studies have focused on the risk factors for postoperative PF in patients undergoing surgery for insulinomas.METHODS:From January 1990 to February 2010,a total of 292 patients with insulinomas underwent surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Demographic data,intraoperative procedures,and postoperative data were collected.Particular attention was paid to variables associated with PF as defined by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF).Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify possible risk factors for PF.RESULTS:PF was found in 132 (45.2%) patients,of whom 90 were classified into ISGPF grade A,33 grade B,and 9 grade C.Multivariate analysis showed that male patients (OR=2.56;P=0.007) and operative time >180minutes (OR=3.756;P<0.0001) were independent risk factors for clinical PF.Pancreatic resection with stapler was a protective factor for both total PF (OR=0.022;P=0.010) and clinical PF (OR=0.097;P=0.007).CONCLUSIONS:Male gender and operative time >180minutes were independent risk factors for clinical PF,while pancreatic resection with a stapler was a protective factor.Whether body mass index (BMI) and other variables during operation are risk factors of PF needs further study.展开更多
Objective: To summarize retrospectively the experi-ence in diagnosis and surgical treatment of pancreaticinsulinoma.Method: 74 patients who had been operated on andconfirmed pathologically from July 1967 to July 2001w...Objective: To summarize retrospectively the experi-ence in diagnosis and surgical treatment of pancreaticinsulinoma.Method: 74 patients who had been operated on andconfirmed pathologically from July 1967 to July 2001were enrolled. They were 37 men and 37 women,aged 41.91 years on average.Results: In all patients with typical Whipple’s triad,the ratio of insulin to glucose was measured over 0.3for at least one time. 52.70 % of the patients wereonce misdiagnosed, and only 20.27 % of them werecorrectly diagnosed in a year after onset of symp-toms. Their average course of the disease was 3.36years. B-ultrasonography and endoscopic ultrasonog-raphy (EUS) showed a low positive rate for localiza-tion of insulinoma. CT and magnetic resonance ima-ging (MRI) could correctly detected 63.41% and63.64 % of tumors respectively, in sharp contrast toa localization rate of 90 % for arterial stimulation andvenous sampling (ASVS). Single insulinoma was ob-served in 66 patients (89.19 %), multiple insulinomain 2 (2.70 %), hyperplasia in 4 (5.41%), and malig-nant insulinoma in 2 (2. 70%). Most (85. 29%) ofthe benign insnlinomas were less than 2 cm in diame-ter. Simple enucleation was the major operative pro-cedure for benign tumors. In 88. 52% of the pa-tients, glycemia increased to normal in 30 minutesafter tumor excision, and in the remaining patientswithin 2 hours. 97. 26% of the patients experiencedtemporary hyperglycemia but recovered in a week.The major complications of insnlinoma included pan-creatic fistulae (27.27 %) and pancreatitis (5. 19 %).Conclusions: Better recognization of insulinoma andits rational examination are essential to early diagno-sis. CT can be first used for localization, otherwiseASVS is used. Surgery is the major choice for thetreatment of insulinoma, but cautions should betaken to pancreatic fistulae after operation.展开更多
Although insulinomas are rare, they are the most com-mon pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, with an inci-dence of four cases per million population. Insulinomas are generally benign indolent intrapancreatic tumors. Surg...Although insulinomas are rare, they are the most com-mon pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, with an inci-dence of four cases per million population. Insulinomas are generally benign indolent intrapancreatic tumors. Surgical resection remains the main option for treat-ment. However, up to 67% of a pancreatic head insu-linomas are nonpalpable, thus surgical resection of the nonplapable insulinoma in this area could become prob-lematic resulting in prolonged surgical time, increased risk of pancreatic duct injury and need for pancreati-coduodenectomy. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine- needle tattooing(EUS-FNT), has been shown to have a crucial role for localization of pancreatic body and tail lesions, facilitating laparoscopic distal pancreatectomyand helping surgeons identify the location of the tumor. EUS-FNT might have a role for preoperative localiza-tion of pancreatic head insulinomas which are likely to be nonpalpable. We report a case of preoperative EUS-FNT for localization of a nonplapable pancreatic head insulinoma. This report demonstrates that EUS-FNT of pancreatic head insulinomas may facilitate surgical resection, reduce operative time and decrease surgical complications.展开更多
Ectopic insulinoma is a very rare and dormant tumor.Here we report the case of a 79-year-old female who presented with repeated episodes of hypoglycemia and was diagnosed with insulinoma based on laboratory and imagin...Ectopic insulinoma is a very rare and dormant tumor.Here we report the case of a 79-year-old female who presented with repeated episodes of hypoglycemia and was diagnosed with insulinoma based on laboratory and imaging examinations.Computed tomography and positron emission tomography revealed a tumor in the retroperitoneum under and left of the hepatoduodenal ligament, which was resected successfully using a laparoscopic approach.Pathologic results revealed an ectopic insulinoma, which was confirmed immunohistochemically.Ectopic insulinomas are accompanied by hypoglycemia that can be misdiagnosed as drug- or disease-induced.These tumors are difficult to diagnose and locate, particularly in atypical cases or for very small tumors.Synthetic or targeted examinations, including low blood glucose, elevated insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide levels, 48-h fasting tests, and relevant imaging methods should be considered for suspected cases of insulinoma.Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with insulinoma, and laparoscopic resection is a feasible and effective method for select ectopic insulinoma cases.展开更多
BACKGROUND:Sulfonylurea receptor 1(SUR1)and multidrug resistance protein 1(MRP1)are two prominent members of multidrug resistance proteins associated with insulin secretion. The aims of this study were to investigate ...BACKGROUND:Sulfonylurea receptor 1(SUR1)and multidrug resistance protein 1(MRP1)are two prominent members of multidrug resistance proteins associated with insulin secretion. The aims of this study were to investigate their expression in insulinomas and their sole and synergistic effects in modulating abnormal insulin secretion. METHODS:Fasting glucose,insulin and C-peptide were measured in 11 insulinoma patients and 11 healthy controls. Prolonged oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in 6 insulinoma patients.Insulin content,SUR1 and MRP1 were detected in 11 insulinoma patients by immunohistochemistry. SUR1 and MRP1 were also detected in 6 insulinoma patients by immunofluorescence. RESULTS:Insulinoma patients presented the typical demons-trations of Whipple's triad.Fasting glucose of each insulinoma patient was lower than 2.8 mmol/L,and simultaneous insulin and C-peptide were increased in insulinoma patients. Prolonged oral glucose tolerance tests showed that insulin secretion in insulinoma patients were also stimulated by high glucose.Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining showed that SUR1 increased,but MRP1 decreased in insulinoma compared with the adjacent islets. CONCLUSIONS:The hypersecretion of insulin in insulinomas might be,at least partially,due to the enrichment of SUR1. In contrast,MRP1,which is down-regulated in insulinomas, might reflect a negative feedback in insulin secretion.展开更多
Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the accuracies of arterial stimulation with simultaneous venous sampling(ASVS) in preoperative localization of insulinomas. Materials and Methods: A cohort consisting of 6 ma...Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the accuracies of arterial stimulation with simultaneous venous sampling(ASVS) in preoperative localization of insulinomas. Materials and Methods: A cohort consisting of 6 males and 14 females(median age, 48.5y; range, 28–62y) with pathologically proven insulinomas were included in this study. Selective angiographies were performed with the superior mesenteric artery(SMA), gastroduodenal artery(GDA), proximal splenic artery, and midsplenic artery in all individuals. Then ASVS procedures were followed after angiographies for these arteries. Clinical characteristics of the patient and the tumor number, location, and size were recorded. The accuracy of preoperative localization of insulinomas was tested. Results: A total of 22 tumors were identified by histopathological diagnosis. The mean size of the tumor was 1.40±0.60 cm. Five tumors were in the head/neck region and 17 in the body/tail region. ASVS accurately localized 17/20(85%) cases with only biochemical data and 19/20(95%) cases with biochemical data and angiography images. Variant pancreatic arterial anatomy was revealed in 2 false cases with inferior pancreatic artery replaced by the superior mesenteric artery. Conclusion: ASVS was highly accurate in localizing insulinomas and should be performed in most of the patients with suspected insulinomas before the operation.展开更多
We present a 70-year-old man who was referred for surgery with uncontrollable hypoglycemia. Ultrasonography and abdominal contrast computed tomography revealed a hypervascular tumor of 1 cm in diameter in the pancreat...We present a 70-year-old man who was referred for surgery with uncontrollable hypoglycemia. Ultrasonography and abdominal contrast computed tomography revealed a hypervascular tumor of 1 cm in diameter in the pancreatic tail. With a diagnosis of insulinoma, we performed a distal pancreatectomy. The patient showed a good postoperative course without any complications. The patient's early morning fasting hypoglycemia disappeared. The respective levels of C-peptide and insulin dropped from 14.9 ng/mL and 4860 μIU/mL preoperatively to 5.3 ng/mL and 553 μIU/mL after surgery. A histopathological examination demonstrated that the tumor was a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, grade 1. Immunostaining was negative for insulin and positive for CD56, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and glucagon. These findings suggested that the tumor was clinically an insulinoma but histopathologically a glucagonoma. Among all insulinoma cases reported between 1985 and 2010, only 5 cases were associated with independent glucagonoma. In this report, we characterize and discuss this rare type of insulinoma by describing the case we experienced in detail.展开更多
BACKGROUND Insulinomas are the most common type of functioning endocrine neoplasms of the pancreas presenting hypoglycemic symptoms.Patients characteristically develop symptoms while fasting,but some patients have rep...BACKGROUND Insulinomas are the most common type of functioning endocrine neoplasms of the pancreas presenting hypoglycemic symptoms.Patients characteristically develop symptoms while fasting,but some patients have reported symptoms only in the postprandial state.Repeated and prolonged hypoglycemic episodes can reduce the awareness of adrenergic symptoms,and patients may have amnesia,which delays diagnosis.CASE SUMMARY We describe a case of a 24-year-old underweight patient who showed hypoglycemic symptoms for almost 6 years.Although patients with insulinoma characteristically develop symptoms while fasting,this young man had hypoglycemic symptoms up to one hour postprandially,especially after highsugar meals and after physical activity.The fasting tests and imaging methods performed at local hospitals were evaluated as negative for abnormal results.However,brown adipose tissue exhibited increased metabolic activity,and some muscle groups had histological changes as indicated by positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose integrated with computed tomography.Glycogen deficiency was also histologically confirmed.The patient’s symptoms progressed over the years and occurred more frequently,i.e.,several times a month,and the patient had reduced awareness of adrenergic symptoms.The follow-up fasting test was positive,and the imaging results showed a tumor in the head of the pancreas.The patient underwent laparotomy with enucleation of the insulinoma.CONCLUSION Weight gain and fasting hypoglycemia are not necessarily characteristics of insulinoma.In prolonged cases,adrenergic symptoms can be suppressed.展开更多
Insulinomas are the most frequent type of functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with a variety of neuroglycopenic and autonomic symptoms and welldefined diagnostic criteria;however,prediction of their clinical b...Insulinomas are the most frequent type of functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with a variety of neuroglycopenic and autonomic symptoms and welldefined diagnostic criteria;however,prediction of their clinical behavior and early differentiation between benign and malignant lesions remain a challenge.The comparative studies between benign and malignant cases are limited,suggesting that short clinical history,early hypoglycemia during fasting,high proinsulin,insulin,and C-peptide concentrations raise suspicion of malignancy.Indeed,malignant tumors are larger with higher mitotic count and Ki-67 proliferative activity,but there are no accurate histological criteria to distinguish benign from malignant forms.Several signaling pathways have been suggested to affect the pathophysiology and behavior of insulinomas;however,our knowledge is limited,urging a further understanding of molecular genetics.Therefore,there is a need for the identification of reliable markers of metastatic disease that could also serve as therapeutic targets in patients with malignant insulinoma.This opinion review reflects on current gaps in diagnostic and clinical aspects related to the malignant behavior of insulinoma.展开更多
BACKGROUND Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has recently been proposed as a local treatment for functional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in patients unfit for surgery,in order to obt...BACKGROUND Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has recently been proposed as a local treatment for functional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in patients unfit for surgery,in order to obtain clinical syndrome regression.Data on the safety and long-term effectiveness of this approach are scarce,and EUS-RFA procedures are not standardized.CASE SUMMARY The present case series reports 3 elderly patients with a pancreatic insulinoma and comorbidities,locally treated by EUS-guided RFA with clinical success in terms of hypoglycemic symptoms.RFA procedures were performed during deep sedation,under EUS control with a 19 G needle,an electrode 5-mm in size at a power of 30 W and multiple RFA applications during the same session in order to treat the whole area of the lesions.Immediate relief of symptoms was evident in 2 patients after the first EUS-RFA,while in the third patient a second endoscopic treatment was needed.All 3 patients are symptom-free without need of medications after 24 mo of follow-up with imaging follow-up showing no disease recurrence.A single adverse event of intraprocedural bleeding occurred,which was successfully treated endoscopically.CONCLUSION EUS-RFA represents an effective and safe alternative to surgery for the treatment of insulinomas in elderly patients at high surgical risk.However,larger multicenter studies withlonger follow-up are needed in order to better assess its safety and clinical success.展开更多
BACKGROUND Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)has been proposed as an effective and durable treatment for severe obesity and glucose metabolism disorders,and its prevalence has increased from 5%to 37%since 2008.One c...BACKGROUND Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)has been proposed as an effective and durable treatment for severe obesity and glucose metabolism disorders,and its prevalence has increased from 5%to 37%since 2008.One common complication after bariatric surgery is a postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic state.While rare,insulinomas can cause this state,where symptoms are more common in the fasting state;thus,evaluation of insulin secretion is needed.Until now,there have been no reports of insulinoma after LSG.CASE SUMMARY We describe the case of a 43-year-old woman who was referred to the obesity clinic 2 years after LSG was performed.She had symptoms of hypoglycemia predominantly in the fasting state and documented hypoglycemia of less than 30 mg/d L,which are compatible with Whipple’s triad.Initially,dumping syndrome was suspected,but after a second low fasting plasma glucose was documented,a 72-h fasting test was performed that tested positive.Computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound were performed,identifying the presence of a homogeneous hypoechoic semioval tumoral lesion in the pancreas.The diagnosis was compatible with insulinoma.After laparoscopic enucleation of the insulinoma,the symptoms and hypoglycemia disappeared.The histopathological report described a well-differentiated grade 2 neuroendocrine tumor with positive chromogranin and synaptophysin and Ki67 immunopositivity in 4%of the neoplastic cells.CONCLUSION Insulinoma after LSG is a rare condition,and clinicians must be aware of it,especially if the patient has hypoglycemic symptoms during the fasting state.展开更多
This case report describes the findings in a canine histopathologically confirmed pancreatic insulinoma using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and dual-phase computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The insulinoma w...This case report describes the findings in a canine histopathologically confirmed pancreatic insulinoma using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and dual-phase computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The insulinoma was better demarcated in CEUS and CTA compared with conventional B-mode ultrasound. On the other hand, only one of two nodules visible in CTA was detected in CEUS. In this case, the insulinoma had an atypical non-contrast-enhancing appearance in both CEUS and CTA. Lack of enhancement in CEUS and CTA has previously been reported in human and canine studies, but this was the first report using both CEUS and CTA for detecting canine insulinoma.展开更多
Insulinoma is a rare disease presenting with episodic neuroglycopenic and/or adrenergic symptoms. We describe the clinical case of a female subject, 44 years old, affected with insulinoma, misdiagnosed for two years a...Insulinoma is a rare disease presenting with episodic neuroglycopenic and/or adrenergic symptoms. We describe the clinical case of a female subject, 44 years old, affected with insulinoma, misdiagnosed for two years as epilepsy, threaten with antiepileptics. Insuli-noma was diagnosed based on fasting blood glucose level of 15 mg/dl, high fasting immunoreactive insu-lin/blood glucose ratio (more than 0.3), and a tumor in the pancreas by abdominal CT. After surgical re-moval of the neoplasm, the blood glucose level and insulin level turned normal. A benign insulinoma was also confirmed by histopathological evaluation. The patient remained seizure-free during the 2-year follow up.展开更多
Insulinoma is a pancreatic endocrine tumor lower in size than 20 mm in 80% of the cases and his treatment is chirurgical. However, in certain circumstances such as an occult location or circumstances of metastases, me...Insulinoma is a pancreatic endocrine tumor lower in size than 20 mm in 80% of the cases and his treatment is chirurgical. However, in certain circumstances such as an occult location or circumstances of metastases, medical treatment is called for. Observation: A 29 years old patient with no specific pathological antecedents has presented severe hypoglycemia mainly in the morning. A patient was in a generally good condition. The fasting test revealed an inappropriate secretion of insulin at a venous glycemia of 0.35 g/l;which was corroborated by Turner index and altered glucose insulin index that we calculated. Moreover, the 8 h cortisolemia was normal at 90.13 ng/l, the TSH was normal at 1.44 μui/l, anti-insulin antibodies were negative at 6.7 U/l;the search of hypoglycemic sulfonamides was negative. Morphologically, she had three pancreatic tomodensitometry these were normal. She also had echo-endoscopy which showed a normal pancreas. The surgical exploration with preoperative echo is advised only after surgeon’s assessment when the technical conditions are not put together. The diagnosis of the occult insulinoma or of nesidioblastosis was retained. The medical treatment was retained. Due to the unavailability of diazoxide in our pharmacies and the high cost of analogs of somatostatine, she was provided with prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/24h which was 40 mg/day after common agreement. The evolution was favorable. Conclusion: It should be noticed that medical treatment can be suggested if insulinoma is not localized. This observation proves that the localization of the insulinoma can be unsuccessful. It should also be noticed that our experience is the fourth described in literature, where hypoglycemia in insulinomas is controlled by prednisone.展开更多
基金Supported by Kochi Organization for Medical Reformation and Renewal Fundthe support of SatoshiIto and Kazuhiro Hanazaki(Kochi Medical School)
文摘Insulinomas,the most common cause of hypoglycemia related to endogenous hyperinsulinism,occur in 1-4 people per million of the general population.Common autonomic symptoms of insulinoma include diaphroresis,tremor,and palpitations,whereas neuroglycopenenic symptoms include confusion,behavioural changes,personality changes,visual disturbances,seizure,and coma.Diagnosis of suspected cases is based on standard endocrine tests,especially the prolonged fasting test.Non-invasive imaging procedures,such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging,are used when a diagnosis of insulinoma has been made to localize the source of pathological insulin secretion.Invasive modalities,such as endoscopic ultrasonography and arterial stimulation venous sampling,are highly accurate in the preoperative localization of insulinomas and have frequently been shown to be superior to noninvasive localization techniques.The range of techniques available for the localization of insulinomas means thatblind resection can be avoided.Intraoperative manual palpation of the pancreas by an experienced surgeon and intraoperative ultrasonography are both sensitive methods with which to finalize the location of insulinomas.A high proportion of patients with insulinomas can be cured with surgery.In patients with malignant insulinomas,an aggressive medical approach,including extended pancreatic resection,liver resection,liver transplantation,chemoembolization,or radiofrequency ablation,is recommended to improve both survival and quality of life.In patients with unresectable or uncontrollable insulinomas,such as malignant insulinoma of the pancreas,several techniques should be considered,including administration of ocreotide and/or continuous glucose monitoring,to prevent hypoglycemic episodes and to improve quality of life.
文摘BACKGROUND:Although insulinomas are very rare tumors, they are the most common pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.The incidence in general population is 1-4 per 1 000 000 yearly but the incidence is higher in autopsy studies. The malignancy of insulinomas is difficult to be predicted on the basis of their histological features,and the current WHO classification has been re-evaluated.This review aimed to summarize classical knowledge with current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of insulinomas. DATA SOURCES:A Medline search using terms"insulinoma", "treatment"and"neuroendocrine tumors"was conducted. Additional references were sourced from key articles. RESULTS:Surgery is the treatment of choice for insulinoma and has an extremely high success rate.Medical treatment is also available but only for patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo surgical treatment.Preoperative localization is necessary for planning the surgical approach.Many methods exist for localization of an insulinoma and can be invasive and non-invasive.The combination of biphasic thin section helical CT and endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)has an almost 100% sensitivity in localizing insulinomas.Laparoscopic ultrasound is mandatory to localize intraoperatively these tumors.EUS-guided fine needle tattoing is an alternative method of localization in case of lack of laparoscopic ultrasound. CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic resection for benign insulinomas is the procedure of choice,whereas pancreatectomy is reserved for large,potentially malignant tumors.
文摘Insulinomas are rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that are most commonly benign,solitary,and intrapancreatic. Uncontrolled insulin overproduction from the tumor produces neurological and adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia. Biochemical diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of Whipple's triad,along with corroborating measurements of blood glucose,insulin,proinsulin,C-peptide,β-hydroxybutyrate,and negative tests for hypoglycemic agents during a supervised fasting period. This is accompanied by accurate preoperative localization using both invasive and non-invasive imaging modalities. Following this,careful preoperative planning is required,with the ensuing procedure being preferably carried out laparoscopically. An integral part of the laparoscopic approach is the application of laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound,which is indispensable for accurate intraoperative localization of the lesion in the pancreatic region. The extent of laparoscopic resection is dependent on preoperative and intraoperative findings,but most commonly involves tumor enucleation or distal pancreatectomy. When performed in an experienced surgical unit,laparoscopic resection is associated with minimal mortality and excellent long-term cure rates. Furthermore,this approach confers equivalent safety and efficacy rates to open resection,while improving cosmesis and reducing hospital stay. As such,laparoscopic resection should be considered in all cases of benign insulinoma where adequate surgical expertise is available.
文摘Objective: To study the methods for diagnosis andtreatment of insulinoma.Methods: Clinical data from 105 patients with insuli-noma who had been admitted to our hospital from Ju-ly 1966 to December 1999 were retrospectively re-viewed.Results: Fasting blood glucose values were less than2.75 mmol/L in all the patients. Fasting serum insulinvalues in 60 patients were higher than 25 mU/L, av-erage 65 mU/L. Before operation, carcinoma was de-tected in 2 of 45 patients by ultrasound scan, and in10 of 35 by CT. Enucleation of insulinoma was per-formed in 60 patients. Operations included insulinomaresection (35 patients), distal resection of the pancreas(8), and biopsy (2).Conclusion: Whipple’s triad and the index of insulinrelease】0.3 are the major variables for diagno-sis Intraoperative exploration and ultrasound scan are themethods for the localization of insulinoma Enucleation ofbenign insulinoma is preferred, but proximal or distal re-sections of the pancreas are required only for large, deep ormultiple
基金supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health Key Lab Foundation (KLF2009011)
文摘BACKGROUND: The etiology of insulinoma is poorly understood. Few studies investigated the possible roles of environmental factors and lifestyle in the pathogenesis of insulinoma. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors associated with occurrence of insulinoma in the Chinese population. METHODS: This study consisted of 196 patients with insulinoma and 233 controls. Demographic information of the patients and controls and risk factors of the disease were analyzed. Univariate and unconditional multivariable logistic regression analyses were made to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and possible risk factors. RESULTS: Approximately 68.88% (135/196) of the patients were from rural areas in contrast to 10.30% (24/233) of the controls (P<0.0001). This difference was confirmed by the multivariate analysis (OR=4.950; 95% CI: 2.928-8.370). Family history of pancreatic endocrine tumor (OR=16.754; 95% CI: 2.125-132.057) and other cancers (OR=2.360; 95% CI: 1.052-5.291) was also related to a high-risk population of insulinoma. CONCLUSION: Rural residents or people who have a family history of pancreatic endocrine tumor and other cancers are a high-risk population of insulinoma.
文摘Insulinomas are the most common category of pancreatic endocrine tumors,with an annual incidence of 1-4 cases per million people.Most are intrapancreatic,benign and solitary.Therefore,they have an excellent prognosis after surgical resection.However,the localization diagnosis of insulinomas still poses a challenge to surgeons and radiologists.In this case,the tumor was occult and could not be found by either abdominal enhanced spiral computed tomography(CT)or ultrasonography.Therefore,we tried a new method of CT scanning and localized the tumor.
文摘BACKGROUND:Pancreatic fistula (PF) remains the most challenging complication in pancreatic surgery,yet few published studies have focused on the risk factors for postoperative PF in patients undergoing surgery for insulinomas.METHODS:From January 1990 to February 2010,a total of 292 patients with insulinomas underwent surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Demographic data,intraoperative procedures,and postoperative data were collected.Particular attention was paid to variables associated with PF as defined by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF).Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify possible risk factors for PF.RESULTS:PF was found in 132 (45.2%) patients,of whom 90 were classified into ISGPF grade A,33 grade B,and 9 grade C.Multivariate analysis showed that male patients (OR=2.56;P=0.007) and operative time >180minutes (OR=3.756;P<0.0001) were independent risk factors for clinical PF.Pancreatic resection with stapler was a protective factor for both total PF (OR=0.022;P=0.010) and clinical PF (OR=0.097;P=0.007).CONCLUSIONS:Male gender and operative time >180minutes were independent risk factors for clinical PF,while pancreatic resection with a stapler was a protective factor.Whether body mass index (BMI) and other variables during operation are risk factors of PF needs further study.
文摘Objective: To summarize retrospectively the experi-ence in diagnosis and surgical treatment of pancreaticinsulinoma.Method: 74 patients who had been operated on andconfirmed pathologically from July 1967 to July 2001were enrolled. They were 37 men and 37 women,aged 41.91 years on average.Results: In all patients with typical Whipple’s triad,the ratio of insulin to glucose was measured over 0.3for at least one time. 52.70 % of the patients wereonce misdiagnosed, and only 20.27 % of them werecorrectly diagnosed in a year after onset of symp-toms. Their average course of the disease was 3.36years. B-ultrasonography and endoscopic ultrasonog-raphy (EUS) showed a low positive rate for localiza-tion of insulinoma. CT and magnetic resonance ima-ging (MRI) could correctly detected 63.41% and63.64 % of tumors respectively, in sharp contrast toa localization rate of 90 % for arterial stimulation andvenous sampling (ASVS). Single insulinoma was ob-served in 66 patients (89.19 %), multiple insulinomain 2 (2.70 %), hyperplasia in 4 (5.41%), and malig-nant insulinoma in 2 (2. 70%). Most (85. 29%) ofthe benign insnlinomas were less than 2 cm in diame-ter. Simple enucleation was the major operative pro-cedure for benign tumors. In 88. 52% of the pa-tients, glycemia increased to normal in 30 minutesafter tumor excision, and in the remaining patientswithin 2 hours. 97. 26% of the patients experiencedtemporary hyperglycemia but recovered in a week.The major complications of insnlinoma included pan-creatic fistulae (27.27 %) and pancreatitis (5. 19 %).Conclusions: Better recognization of insulinoma andits rational examination are essential to early diagno-sis. CT can be first used for localization, otherwiseASVS is used. Surgery is the major choice for thetreatment of insulinoma, but cautions should betaken to pancreatic fistulae after operation.
文摘Although insulinomas are rare, they are the most com-mon pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, with an inci-dence of four cases per million population. Insulinomas are generally benign indolent intrapancreatic tumors. Surgical resection remains the main option for treat-ment. However, up to 67% of a pancreatic head insu-linomas are nonpalpable, thus surgical resection of the nonplapable insulinoma in this area could become prob-lematic resulting in prolonged surgical time, increased risk of pancreatic duct injury and need for pancreati-coduodenectomy. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine- needle tattooing(EUS-FNT), has been shown to have a crucial role for localization of pancreatic body and tail lesions, facilitating laparoscopic distal pancreatectomyand helping surgeons identify the location of the tumor. EUS-FNT might have a role for preoperative localiza-tion of pancreatic head insulinomas which are likely to be nonpalpable. We report a case of preoperative EUS-FNT for localization of a nonplapable pancreatic head insulinoma. This report demonstrates that EUS-FNT of pancreatic head insulinomas may facilitate surgical resection, reduce operative time and decrease surgical complications.
文摘Ectopic insulinoma is a very rare and dormant tumor.Here we report the case of a 79-year-old female who presented with repeated episodes of hypoglycemia and was diagnosed with insulinoma based on laboratory and imaging examinations.Computed tomography and positron emission tomography revealed a tumor in the retroperitoneum under and left of the hepatoduodenal ligament, which was resected successfully using a laparoscopic approach.Pathologic results revealed an ectopic insulinoma, which was confirmed immunohistochemically.Ectopic insulinomas are accompanied by hypoglycemia that can be misdiagnosed as drug- or disease-induced.These tumors are difficult to diagnose and locate, particularly in atypical cases or for very small tumors.Synthetic or targeted examinations, including low blood glucose, elevated insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide levels, 48-h fasting tests, and relevant imaging methods should be considered for suspected cases of insulinoma.Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with insulinoma, and laparoscopic resection is a feasible and effective method for select ectopic insulinoma cases.
文摘BACKGROUND:Sulfonylurea receptor 1(SUR1)and multidrug resistance protein 1(MRP1)are two prominent members of multidrug resistance proteins associated with insulin secretion. The aims of this study were to investigate their expression in insulinomas and their sole and synergistic effects in modulating abnormal insulin secretion. METHODS:Fasting glucose,insulin and C-peptide were measured in 11 insulinoma patients and 11 healthy controls. Prolonged oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in 6 insulinoma patients.Insulin content,SUR1 and MRP1 were detected in 11 insulinoma patients by immunohistochemistry. SUR1 and MRP1 were also detected in 6 insulinoma patients by immunofluorescence. RESULTS:Insulinoma patients presented the typical demons-trations of Whipple's triad.Fasting glucose of each insulinoma patient was lower than 2.8 mmol/L,and simultaneous insulin and C-peptide were increased in insulinoma patients. Prolonged oral glucose tolerance tests showed that insulin secretion in insulinoma patients were also stimulated by high glucose.Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining showed that SUR1 increased,but MRP1 decreased in insulinoma compared with the adjacent islets. CONCLUSIONS:The hypersecretion of insulin in insulinomas might be,at least partially,due to the enrichment of SUR1. In contrast,MRP1,which is down-regulated in insulinomas, might reflect a negative feedback in insulin secretion.
基金This work was supported by the Shanghai Pujiang Program(16PJ1406200)the Scientific Research Innovation Projects of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission(15ZZ060)
文摘Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the accuracies of arterial stimulation with simultaneous venous sampling(ASVS) in preoperative localization of insulinomas. Materials and Methods: A cohort consisting of 6 males and 14 females(median age, 48.5y; range, 28–62y) with pathologically proven insulinomas were included in this study. Selective angiographies were performed with the superior mesenteric artery(SMA), gastroduodenal artery(GDA), proximal splenic artery, and midsplenic artery in all individuals. Then ASVS procedures were followed after angiographies for these arteries. Clinical characteristics of the patient and the tumor number, location, and size were recorded. The accuracy of preoperative localization of insulinomas was tested. Results: A total of 22 tumors were identified by histopathological diagnosis. The mean size of the tumor was 1.40±0.60 cm. Five tumors were in the head/neck region and 17 in the body/tail region. ASVS accurately localized 17/20(85%) cases with only biochemical data and 19/20(95%) cases with biochemical data and angiography images. Variant pancreatic arterial anatomy was revealed in 2 false cases with inferior pancreatic artery replaced by the superior mesenteric artery. Conclusion: ASVS was highly accurate in localizing insulinomas and should be performed in most of the patients with suspected insulinomas before the operation.
文摘We present a 70-year-old man who was referred for surgery with uncontrollable hypoglycemia. Ultrasonography and abdominal contrast computed tomography revealed a hypervascular tumor of 1 cm in diameter in the pancreatic tail. With a diagnosis of insulinoma, we performed a distal pancreatectomy. The patient showed a good postoperative course without any complications. The patient's early morning fasting hypoglycemia disappeared. The respective levels of C-peptide and insulin dropped from 14.9 ng/mL and 4860 μIU/mL preoperatively to 5.3 ng/mL and 553 μIU/mL after surgery. A histopathological examination demonstrated that the tumor was a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, grade 1. Immunostaining was negative for insulin and positive for CD56, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and glucagon. These findings suggested that the tumor was clinically an insulinoma but histopathologically a glucagonoma. Among all insulinoma cases reported between 1985 and 2010, only 5 cases were associated with independent glucagonoma. In this report, we characterize and discuss this rare type of insulinoma by describing the case we experienced in detail.
文摘BACKGROUND Insulinomas are the most common type of functioning endocrine neoplasms of the pancreas presenting hypoglycemic symptoms.Patients characteristically develop symptoms while fasting,but some patients have reported symptoms only in the postprandial state.Repeated and prolonged hypoglycemic episodes can reduce the awareness of adrenergic symptoms,and patients may have amnesia,which delays diagnosis.CASE SUMMARY We describe a case of a 24-year-old underweight patient who showed hypoglycemic symptoms for almost 6 years.Although patients with insulinoma characteristically develop symptoms while fasting,this young man had hypoglycemic symptoms up to one hour postprandially,especially after highsugar meals and after physical activity.The fasting tests and imaging methods performed at local hospitals were evaluated as negative for abnormal results.However,brown adipose tissue exhibited increased metabolic activity,and some muscle groups had histological changes as indicated by positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose integrated with computed tomography.Glycogen deficiency was also histologically confirmed.The patient’s symptoms progressed over the years and occurred more frequently,i.e.,several times a month,and the patient had reduced awareness of adrenergic symptoms.The follow-up fasting test was positive,and the imaging results showed a tumor in the head of the pancreas.The patient underwent laparotomy with enucleation of the insulinoma.CONCLUSION Weight gain and fasting hypoglycemia are not necessarily characteristics of insulinoma.In prolonged cases,adrenergic symptoms can be suppressed.
文摘Insulinomas are the most frequent type of functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with a variety of neuroglycopenic and autonomic symptoms and welldefined diagnostic criteria;however,prediction of their clinical behavior and early differentiation between benign and malignant lesions remain a challenge.The comparative studies between benign and malignant cases are limited,suggesting that short clinical history,early hypoglycemia during fasting,high proinsulin,insulin,and C-peptide concentrations raise suspicion of malignancy.Indeed,malignant tumors are larger with higher mitotic count and Ki-67 proliferative activity,but there are no accurate histological criteria to distinguish benign from malignant forms.Several signaling pathways have been suggested to affect the pathophysiology and behavior of insulinomas;however,our knowledge is limited,urging a further understanding of molecular genetics.Therefore,there is a need for the identification of reliable markers of metastatic disease that could also serve as therapeutic targets in patients with malignant insulinoma.This opinion review reflects on current gaps in diagnostic and clinical aspects related to the malignant behavior of insulinoma.
文摘BACKGROUND Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has recently been proposed as a local treatment for functional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in patients unfit for surgery,in order to obtain clinical syndrome regression.Data on the safety and long-term effectiveness of this approach are scarce,and EUS-RFA procedures are not standardized.CASE SUMMARY The present case series reports 3 elderly patients with a pancreatic insulinoma and comorbidities,locally treated by EUS-guided RFA with clinical success in terms of hypoglycemic symptoms.RFA procedures were performed during deep sedation,under EUS control with a 19 G needle,an electrode 5-mm in size at a power of 30 W and multiple RFA applications during the same session in order to treat the whole area of the lesions.Immediate relief of symptoms was evident in 2 patients after the first EUS-RFA,while in the third patient a second endoscopic treatment was needed.All 3 patients are symptom-free without need of medications after 24 mo of follow-up with imaging follow-up showing no disease recurrence.A single adverse event of intraprocedural bleeding occurred,which was successfully treated endoscopically.CONCLUSION EUS-RFA represents an effective and safe alternative to surgery for the treatment of insulinomas in elderly patients at high surgical risk.However,larger multicenter studies withlonger follow-up are needed in order to better assess its safety and clinical success.
文摘BACKGROUND Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)has been proposed as an effective and durable treatment for severe obesity and glucose metabolism disorders,and its prevalence has increased from 5%to 37%since 2008.One common complication after bariatric surgery is a postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic state.While rare,insulinomas can cause this state,where symptoms are more common in the fasting state;thus,evaluation of insulin secretion is needed.Until now,there have been no reports of insulinoma after LSG.CASE SUMMARY We describe the case of a 43-year-old woman who was referred to the obesity clinic 2 years after LSG was performed.She had symptoms of hypoglycemia predominantly in the fasting state and documented hypoglycemia of less than 30 mg/d L,which are compatible with Whipple’s triad.Initially,dumping syndrome was suspected,but after a second low fasting plasma glucose was documented,a 72-h fasting test was performed that tested positive.Computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound were performed,identifying the presence of a homogeneous hypoechoic semioval tumoral lesion in the pancreas.The diagnosis was compatible with insulinoma.After laparoscopic enucleation of the insulinoma,the symptoms and hypoglycemia disappeared.The histopathological report described a well-differentiated grade 2 neuroendocrine tumor with positive chromogranin and synaptophysin and Ki67 immunopositivity in 4%of the neoplastic cells.CONCLUSION Insulinoma after LSG is a rare condition,and clinicians must be aware of it,especially if the patient has hypoglycemic symptoms during the fasting state.
文摘This case report describes the findings in a canine histopathologically confirmed pancreatic insulinoma using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and dual-phase computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The insulinoma was better demarcated in CEUS and CTA compared with conventional B-mode ultrasound. On the other hand, only one of two nodules visible in CTA was detected in CEUS. In this case, the insulinoma had an atypical non-contrast-enhancing appearance in both CEUS and CTA. Lack of enhancement in CEUS and CTA has previously been reported in human and canine studies, but this was the first report using both CEUS and CTA for detecting canine insulinoma.
文摘Insulinoma is a rare disease presenting with episodic neuroglycopenic and/or adrenergic symptoms. We describe the clinical case of a female subject, 44 years old, affected with insulinoma, misdiagnosed for two years as epilepsy, threaten with antiepileptics. Insuli-noma was diagnosed based on fasting blood glucose level of 15 mg/dl, high fasting immunoreactive insu-lin/blood glucose ratio (more than 0.3), and a tumor in the pancreas by abdominal CT. After surgical re-moval of the neoplasm, the blood glucose level and insulin level turned normal. A benign insulinoma was also confirmed by histopathological evaluation. The patient remained seizure-free during the 2-year follow up.
文摘Insulinoma is a pancreatic endocrine tumor lower in size than 20 mm in 80% of the cases and his treatment is chirurgical. However, in certain circumstances such as an occult location or circumstances of metastases, medical treatment is called for. Observation: A 29 years old patient with no specific pathological antecedents has presented severe hypoglycemia mainly in the morning. A patient was in a generally good condition. The fasting test revealed an inappropriate secretion of insulin at a venous glycemia of 0.35 g/l;which was corroborated by Turner index and altered glucose insulin index that we calculated. Moreover, the 8 h cortisolemia was normal at 90.13 ng/l, the TSH was normal at 1.44 μui/l, anti-insulin antibodies were negative at 6.7 U/l;the search of hypoglycemic sulfonamides was negative. Morphologically, she had three pancreatic tomodensitometry these were normal. She also had echo-endoscopy which showed a normal pancreas. The surgical exploration with preoperative echo is advised only after surgeon’s assessment when the technical conditions are not put together. The diagnosis of the occult insulinoma or of nesidioblastosis was retained. The medical treatment was retained. Due to the unavailability of diazoxide in our pharmacies and the high cost of analogs of somatostatine, she was provided with prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/24h which was 40 mg/day after common agreement. The evolution was favorable. Conclusion: It should be noticed that medical treatment can be suggested if insulinoma is not localized. This observation proves that the localization of the insulinoma can be unsuccessful. It should also be noticed that our experience is the fourth described in literature, where hypoglycemia in insulinomas is controlled by prednisone.
