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Published on: November 16, 2011
[Congenital hyperinsulinism in 15 infants, 1981-1999; experiences and new insights]
S C Kuijpers1, C Noordam, C Boelen
1Afd. Metabole & Endocriene Ziekten, Universitair Medisch Centrum St Radboud, Universitair Kinderziekenhuis, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen.
Insights
Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) in infants presents with varied symptoms and requires high glucose administration. Surgery for CHI is effective but can lead to exocrine pancreas dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Neonatology
Context:
- Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), also known as persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, is a rare but serious condition in infants.
- Early diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial for preventing neurological damage due to hypoglycemia.
Purpose:
- To retrospectively analyze the diagnostic methods and treatment outcomes for infants with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).
- To evaluate the effectiveness of diazoxide treatment and subtotal pancreatectomy in managing CHI.
- To identify potential complications associated with CHI treatment, including neurological and pancreatic dysfunction.
Summary:
- This study reviewed 15 infants diagnosed with CHI between 1981 and 1999, noting diverse presentations including macrosomia and neuroglycopenic symptoms.
- Infants required significantly elevated glucose levels (16.9 mg/kg/min) to maintain normoglycemia.
- Five infants responded to diazoxide, while 10 underwent subtotal pancreatectomy, resulting in normoglycemia in 4, but with 3 developing exocrine pancreas dysfunction. Disturbed neuropsychological development was noted in 5 infants.
Impact:
- The findings highlight the challenges in diagnosing and managing CHI, emphasizing the need for tailored treatment strategies.
- Subtotal pancreatectomy is a viable option for refractory cases, but potential long-term complications like exocrine dysfunction must be monitored.
- This study contributes to understanding the long-term outcomes and management of congenital hyperinsulinism in infants.
Objective:
To report on a retrospective study into the diagnostics and treatment of infants with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI; persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia).
Design:
Retrospective and descriptive.
Method:
The study included all 15 patients diagnosed with CHI at the St Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands, from 1981 until 1999. Data gathered by systematically searching case-notes included: presentation, clinical admission, laboratory results, treatment and follow-up.
Results:
Four of the 15 infants were macrosomatic; 12 (80%) were presented within 4 days of birth, and the rest after the age of 5 months. Their symptoms were partially aspecific (feeding poorly, lethargy) and partially clear, corresponding to neuroglycopaenia (jitteryness, hypotonia). Nine infants experienced convulsions. The amount of glucose that had to be administered to achieve normoglycaemia (average: 16.9 mg/kg/min) was far above the basal requirement of 4-8 mg/kg/min. Ketone serum and free fatty acid values were lowered during a hypoglycaemic episode, hyperinsulinism was detected after repeated measurements. Five infants responded well to treatment with diazoxide. Ten children underwent subtotal pancreatectomy after which 4 remained normoglycaemic. Three of the 10 children who underwent surgery developed an exocrine pancreas dysfunction. We did not systematically examine neuropsychological development, but in 5 of the 15 children this was clearly disturbed.
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