Hypoglycaemia Among Insulin-Treated Patients with Diabetes: Evaluation of the United Arab Emirates cohort of the International Operations-Hypoglycaemia Assessment Tool study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of hypoglycaemia among insulin-treated patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cohort of the non-interventional International Operations-Hypoglycaemia Assessment Tool study. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study took place at 25 patient care centres in the UAE from October 2014 to May 2015. All adult patients with T1DM or T2DM who had been treated with insulin for >12 months were included. Self-assessment questionnaires and patient diaries were used to determine the incidence of documented hypoglycaemia both prospectively (four weeks after baseline) and retrospectively (six months and four weeks before baseline for severe and non-severe hypoglycaemic events, respectively). RESULTS: A total of 325 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 82 (25.2%) had T1DM and 243 (74.8%) had T2DM. Among patients with T1DM, 71.4% reported hypoglycaemic events retrospectively, with an incidence rate (IR) of 102.8 events per patient-year (PY), while 95% reported hypoglycaemic events prospectively, with an IR of 63.1 events per PY. Additionally, 56.3% of patients with T2DM reported hypoglycaemic events retrospectively, with an IR of 42.2 events per PY, while 91.9% reported hypoglycaemic events prospectively, with an IR of 33.3 events per PY. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and incidence of hypoglycaemia were high among insulin-treated patients with T1DM and T2DM in the UAE. Individualised glycaemic goals, patient education and blood glucose monitoring may help to reduce the incidence of hypoglycaemia in this population.

An unusual collision tumor comprising a prolactinoma and a plasmocytoma originating from the sellar region.

A 58-year-old previously healthy man presented with diplopia of rapid onset over a few days. Examination demonstrated bilateral sixth and right fourth cranial nerve palsy. MR imaging showed a large sellar mass with significant destruction of the pituitary fossa. Laboratory tests revealed very high serum prolactin (2,483 ng/dl, reference range 3-13 ng/dl). Dopamine agonist therapy was initiated with significant decline in PRL levels; however, nausea, fatigue, and anorexia developed. Within a few weeks the patient developed renal failure and hypercalcemia. Urine protein electrophoresis revealed large free monoclonal kappa peaks while extensive plasmocytosis was evident in bone marrow aspirates. On bone scan numerous lytic lesions were present. A transsphenoidal excisional biopsy was performed which demonstrated two distinct populations of cells, corresponding to a plasma cell tumor and a lactotroph adenoma. Treatment for multiple myeloma was initiated along with radiotherapy for the sellar tumor. Only a few cases of solitary plasmocytomas of the pituitary region have been reported. Few cases of prolactinomas coexisting with other sellar tumors has been described. We discuss in this report possible pathogenic and functional connections between these two tumors. We suggest that in the presence of extensive cranial nerve involvement, atypical imaging findings for a pituitary adenoma and severe hyperprolactinemia, the possibility of a collision tumor should lead the physician to consider excisional tumor biopsy or surgery in addition to dopamine agonist therapy.