Hipoglucemia tumoral dependiente y no dependiente de células ß-pancreáticas, un reto diagnóstico / Tumor and non-tumor mediated hypoglycemia by pancreatic beta cells, a diagnostic challenge

La hipoglucemia es una urgencia médica frecuente que en la mayoría de los casos es secundaria al uso de fármacos hipoglucemiantes, orales o inyectados, indicados en pacientes con diabetes mellitus. No obstante, puede presentarse en forma espontánea y severa relacionándose con múltiples condiciones clínicas, incluyendo las neoplasias. Ante una hipoglucemia de origen paraneoplásico se deben reconocer los mecanismos fisiopatológicos que la generan y establecer el diagnóstico oportuno y preciso para disminuir las complicaciones propias de este síndrome clínico. Presentamos dos pacientes con cuadro de hipoglucemia refractaria al manejo médico inicial, de aparición similar con patologías diferentes. El primer caso corresponde a un paciente con insulinoma y el segundo con un hemangiopericitoma.

Hypoglycemia is a common medical emergency which is mostly secondary to the use of oral or injected hypoglycemic drugs indicated in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, it can present spontaneously and severely in relation to multiple clinical conditions, including neoplasms. When faced with hypoglycemia associated with paraneoplastic disorders, the pathophysiological mechanisms of hypoglycemia must be recognized and a timely and accurate diagnosis must be established in order to diminish complications inherent to this clinical syndrome. We herein present two patients with hypoglycemia refractory to initial medical management, sharing similar appearance with other pathologies. The first case corresponds to a patient with an insulinoma and the second to a patient with a hemangiopericytoma.

Obesidad: ¿Factor de riesgo o enfermedad? / Obesity: risk factor or primary disease?

Obesity is a global health problem. Its worldwide prevalence has tripled between 1975 and 2016, reaching a prevalence in Chile of 34.4%, according to the National Health Survey 2016-2017. If this condition corresponds to a risk factor or primary disease is a widely discussed issue. It is recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association and World Health Organization, based on its metabolic and hormonal features, such as dysregulation of appetite, abnormal energy balance and endocrine dysfunction, among others. Its main environmental risk factors are the consumption of ultra-processed foods and sedentariness. Preventive measures at the population level are fundamental, emphasizing promotion and prevention using a transdisciplinary approach. The individual approach in the management of obesity should improve the quality of life, avoid early mortality, reduce cardiovascular risk, and reduce the progression to type 2 diabetes and incidence of cancer. Thus, an adequate management and control of obesity would have a great impact in our society.

Carcinoma diferenciado de la glándula tiroidea: hallazgos en 16 años de manejo multidisciplinario / Differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid: findings after 16 years of multidisciplinary management

Introducción. La falta de una clasificación preoperatoria confiable para determinar el riesgo de recaída en cáncer diferenciado de tiroides, nos motivó a explorar factores que pudieran ofrecer algunos indicios para plantear hipótesis que explicaran las diferencias entre el comportamiento de nuestros casos y lo reportado en la literatura científica. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo del tipo serie de casos, tomando la información registrada en la historia clínica de individuos con carcinoma de tiroides, tratados por el grupo de especialistas de Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello, Medicina Nuclear, Endocrinología y Patología de una clínica especializada con nivel IV de atención de Bogotá, Colombia, en el período comprendido entre enero de 1997 y diciembre de 2012. Resultados. Se obtuvieron 501 registros de cáncer de tiroides, de los cuales, 469 (93,6 %) correspondían a carcinoma diferenciado. La distribución por sexo fue predominantemente femenina, 418 (83,4 %). Se observó asociación significativa entre recidiva y siete factores histopatológicos. La mediana para el tiempo de seguimiento fue de 38 meses (rango, 1 a 312). Se documentó recidiva tumoral en 59 pacientes (12,6 %) con una mediana para el tiempo libre de recaída de 31 meses (rango, 7 a 288). La supervivencia observada a 5 y 10 años fue de 97,4 % y 96,8 %, respectivamente. Discusión. La presencia de factores histopatológicos, la falta de una clasificación preoperatoria para establecer el riesgo de recaída, de mortalidad o de ambos, y el deficiente sistema de salud que no permite un adecuado seguimiento de los pacientes, pueden ser razones suficientes para justificar una citorreducción quirúrgica agresiva como tratamiento inicial del carcinoma diferenciado de tiroides.

Introduction. The lack of a reliable preoperative classification system for determining the risk of a recurrence in differentiated thyroid cancer that has low mortality led us to conduct a descriptive study in order to identify histological, surgical and complementary therapeutic factors that could be used to generate hypotheses that could explain the differences between the results of our cases and what is reported in the literature. Materials and Methods. A descriptive study of the case series type was conducted, using information recorded in the medical records of individuals with a thyroid carcinoma treated by the group of specialists in head and neck surgery, nuclear medicine, endocrinology and pathology at a Level IV specialized clinic, in the city of Bogotá D.C., Colombia, Fundación Cardioinfantil, Instituto de Cardiología, from January 1997, through December 2012. Results. There were 501 cases of thyroid cancer, of which 469 (93.6%) corresponded to DTC. Gender distribution was predominantly feminine: 418 (83.4%). Subtotal thyroidectomy was carried out on 61 patients (13%), total thyroidectomy on 58 patients (12.4%). Seven histopathological factors were significant. Tumor recurrence was documented in 59 patients (12.6%) with a median recurrence-free time of 31 months (range 7-288). Survival observed at 5 and 10 years was 97.4% and 96.8%, respectively. Discussion. In according with our findings, tumors larger than 2cm, the high percentage of PTC aggressive histological variants, multicentricity, bilaterality, metastatic lymph nodes in the upper-anterior mediastenum, the lack of a reliable preoperative classification for establishing the risk of recurrence and/or mortality and our deficient health system that does not allow proper follow-up, constitute enough reasons for performing an aggressive surgical approach as the first line of treatment in differentiated thyroid cancer.