title: A combination of nifedipine and octreotide treatment in an hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic infant.
abstract: Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) is the commonest cause of persistent hypoglycemia in the neonatal and infancy periods. Mutations in the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes, which encode subunits of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the pancreatic beta cell, are identified in approximately 50% of these patients. The first-line drug in the treatment of HH is diazoxide. Octreotide and glucagon can be used in patients who show no response to diazoxide. Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, has been shown to be an effective treatment in a small number of patients with diazoxide-unresponsive HH. We report a HH patient with a homozygous ABCC8 mutation (p.W1339X) who underwent a near-total pancreatectomy at 2 months of age due to a lack of response to diazoxide and octreotide treatment. Severe hypoglycemic attacks continued following surgery, while the patient was being treated with octreotide. These attacks resolved when nifedipine was introduced. Whilst our patient responded well to nifedipine, the dosage could not be increased to 0.75 mg/kg/day due to development of hypotension, a reported side effect of this drug. Currently, our patient, now aged 4 years, is receiving a combination of nifedipine and octreotide treatment. He is under good control and shows no side effects. In conclusion, nifedipine treatment can be started in patients with HH who show a poor response to diazoxide and octreotide treatment.
authors.affiliation: Mersin State Hospital, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Mersin, Turkey. E-mail: drerdemdurmaz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durmaz
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parlak
authors.forename: Sian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellard
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akcurin
authors.forename: Iffet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bircan
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D044903:Congenital Hyperinsulinism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003981:Diazoxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D064233:Sulfonylurea Receptors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C577507:ABCC8 protein, human; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D064233:Sulfonylurea Receptors; D009543:Nifedipine; D003981:Diazoxide; D015282:Octreotide