A retrospective study of 14 cases of glucagonoma with literature review / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To improve the clinical understanding of glucagonoma. Methods A total of 14 cases of glucagonoma were admitted to our hospital, and the clinical features of these cases were retrospectively analyzed. Results (1) The female/ male case ratio was 1 1. (2) The median age of onset was 47 years (range 33-61), while the median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 33-64). (3) The most common initial presentation was necrolytic migratory erythema (7/ 14, 50％). (4) Hyperglycemia was the most common presentation at the time of diagnosis (14/ 14, 100％), followed by necrolytic migratory erythema (13/ 14, 92.9％). (5) The misdiagnosis rate before admission to our hospital was as high as 85.7％ (12/ 14), and the most common misdiagnosis was eczema (7/ 12, 58.3％). (6) The median time from onset of probable symptoms to diagnosis was 4 years. (7) The median plasma glucagon level at diagnosis was 798 pg/ ml (range 200-2853). (8) The median length of the longest tumor diameter of the pancreatic tumors at diagnosis was 4. 0cm ( range 2. 2-8. 0). ( 9) 57. 1％ of primary pancreatic glucagonomas localized in the tail of the pancreas. (10) 57.1％ of patients (8/ 14) had metastases at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions (1)Necrolytic migratory erythema is a relatively sensitive and specific symptom for diagnosis of glucagonoma. (2) The diagnosis for glucagonoma was often delayed, and misdiagnosis was common. ( 3) Most glucagonoma patients had metastases at the time of diagnosis.