Liver metastases 9 years after removal of a malignant insulinoma which was initially considered benign.
BACKGROUND
Insulinomas may be regarded as potentially malignant. A long follow-up period is needed to detect any possible recurrence, even if the initial diagnosis was of a benign insulinoma.


METHODS
We present the case of a 76-year-old woman with liver metastases due to a malignant insulinoma, which had been diagnosed as benign after its complete removal 9 years earlier.


CONCLUSIONS
This case shows the difficulty of distinguishing between benign and malignant insulinomas when there is no initial evidence of metastases. This fact poses the need to conduct a long follow-up period in order to detect any possible recurrence even if the initial diagnosis was one of a benign insulinoma.
Gonzalez-Gonzalez
Abel
A
Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University Hospital Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. abelypaloma@tiscali.es
Recio-Cordova
Jose María
JM
D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors