Localization and treatment of functional insulinoma of the pancreatic uncinate process / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Functional insulinoma accounts for 85% of insulinoma, and it is evenly distributed in the head, body and tail of the pancreas. The main clinical manifestation of patients with functional insulinoma is endocrine disorder, and 92% of them presented with neurological symptoms. Preoperative localization of functional insulinoma is difficult because of the small size of the tumor. A 31-year-old male patient with the chief complaint of paroxysmal dizziness and confusion was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College on May 3,2010. The patient was preliminarily diagnosed with functional insulinoma by detecting the levels of fasting blood glucose,serum insulin and fasting serum C-peptide, as well as the presence of Whipple's triad. Ultrasonography and enhanced computed tomography demonstrated that a well-defined tumor of 13.0 mm ×13.0 mm in size was located in the pancreatic uncinate process.On May 27, 2010, the patient received surgical resection of the tumor, and histological examination of the resected specimen confirmed insulinoma.