Document Detail


Beta-cell adenomas without hyperinsulinemia with use of highly specific insulin radioimmunoassays: case report and review of literature.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20439243     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To report a case of a proinsulin-secreting islet cell adenoma in which the diagnosis was obscured by an ultraspecific insulin assay.
METHODS: We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman, who presented with fasting hypoglycemia and appropriately low insulin values.
RESULTS: A prolonged supervised fast produced symptomatic hypoglycemia (20 mg/dL) after only 7 hours. During the entire fasting test, highly specific insulin remained at <3 mIU/L, with a median value (and interquartile range) of 0.9 (0.8 to 2.3) mIU/L, when the glucose concentration was <50 mg/dL. The serum C-peptide level remained high normal (mean +/- SD, 2.7 +/- 0.6 ng/mL; normal fasting levels, 0.8 to 3.9), and no evidence of sulfonylurea use was detected in the patient's urine. Circulating proinsulin levels were persistently high (>200 pmol/L in all determinations when hypoglycemia was present; expected value, <5 pmol/L). Magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasonography confirmed the presence of a 2.5-cm tumor in the head of the pancreas. A proinsulin-secreting islet cell tumor was diagnosed. Surgical resection of the tumor was successfully accomplished, but diabetes mellitus developed 4 months postoperatively.
CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of a hypoglycemia-producing pancreatic adenoma can be missed when an ultraspecific insulin assay is used. The direct measurement of proinsulin established the diagnosis in this case.
Authors:
Francisco J Gómez-Pérez; Daniel Cuevas-Ramos; Paloma Almeda Valdés; Carlos A Aguilar-Salinas; Roopa Mehta; Juan A Rull
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Case Reports; Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists     Volume:  16     ISSN:  1934-2403     ISO Abbreviation:  Endocr Pract     Publication Date:    2010 Jul-Aug
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-13     Completed Date:  2010-12-07     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9607439     Medline TA:  Endocr Pract     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  660-3     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico. fcojgomezp@aol.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Diagnosis, Differential
Endosonography
Female
Humans
Hypoglycemia / blood
Insulin / blood
Insulinoma / blood*,  diagnosis*,  secretion,  surgery
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood*,  diagnosis*,  secretion,  surgery
Proinsulin / blood*,  secretion
Radioimmunoassay
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
11061-68-0/Insulin; 9035-68-1/Proinsulin

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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