title: [Insulinoma misdiagnosed and treated as epilepsy].
abstract: Although insulinoma constitutes almost 90% of neuroendocrine tumors localized in the pancreas, it is a rare disease. Quite commonly prior to the diagnosis there is a history of several years and misdiagnosis as neurological or cardiological disease is not infrequent. Patient, 22 years old, since 7 years experiencing multiple incidents of neuroglycopenia with concurrent hyperadrenergic reaction. Consciousness disturbances and muscle tremor together with feeling of hunger and tachycardia occurred mainly in the morning hours, or after physical exercise, and subsided after glucose intake. Increase in body weight, typical for insulinoma, was also observed. The patient was hospitalized twice in Pediatric Department and although hypoglycemia was observed, no additional testing was performed to exclude insulinoma; reported symptoms and abnormalities in EEG recording after provocation resulted in diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. During hospitalization in the Department of Endocrinology fasting test was performed, which revealed inadequately high insulin level with glucose level of 41 mg% and signs of neuroglycopenia. The image of pancreas was normal in the acquired abdominal ultrasound and in CT a tumor was found in the tail of pancreas. The patient underwent laparoscopic operation and the clinical diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. Antiepileptic drugs were discontinued. Total remission of symptoms was achieved. The presented case demonstrates the difficulties in correct interpretation of reported symptoms, while the results of biochemical tests and imaging studies point precisely to the diagnosis. Focal neurological signs resulting from multiple episodes of hypoglycemia may lead to misdiagnosis and treatment of epilepsia.
authors.affiliation: Akademia Medyczna w Gdańku, Klinika Endokrynologii i Chorób Wewnetrznych. endo@amg.gda.pl
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gnacńska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewczuk
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sworczak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*