Hypoglycaemia in an adult male: a surprising finding in pursuit of insulinoma.
A 50-year-old man who had suffered several episodes of early morning sweats and tremors was diagnosed as having hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia. Cross-sectional imaging and endoscopic ultrasound revealed no pancreatic lesion. A selective intra-arterial calcium infusion study showed a two-fold increase of insulin secretion after infusion of the splenic and superior mesenteric arteries. Laparotomy was performed, no lesion was identified after full mobilisation of the pancreas, and nothing was evident with intra-operative ultrasound. A distal pancreatectomy was performed. Microscopically, the pancreas exhibited diffuse islet cell hyperplasia consistent with nesidioblastosis. The patient remains euglycaemic eight months post-operatively.
Geraghty
M
M
Department of Endocrinology, St James's Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. michealx1@yahoo.co.uk
Draman
M
M
Moran
D
D
Muldoon
C
C
Reynolds
J V
JV
Cullen
M J
MJ
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019160:Endosonography; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D046768:Nesidioblastosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional