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Robotic Enucleation of an Intra-Pancreatic Insulinoma in the Pancreatic Head
Published on: January 3, 2020
Locating an insulinoma by surgical exploration
C A H Liyanage1, K Rajaratnam, R S Zanoon
1National Hospital of Sri Lanka. chandikaliyanage@hotmail.com
The Ceylon Medical Journal
|November 5, 2004
Summary
A suspected insulinoma in a 79-year-old man was diagnosed via surgical exploration when imaging failed. This approach is valuable in resource-limited settings for identifying pancreatic insulinomas.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Surgical Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Insulinoma, a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, presents diagnostic challenges.
- Clinical and biochemical findings often suggest insulinoma, but radiological confirmation can be difficult.
Observation:
- A 79-year-old male patient presented with symptoms suggestive of insulinoma.
- Despite clinical suspicion, radiological imaging provided no supportive evidence for the diagnosis.
Findings:
- Surgical exploration and pancreatic lesion identification confirmed insulinoma.
- Immediate postsurgical improvement in the patient's hypoglycemia was observed.
Implications:
- Open surgical exploration serves as a viable alternative for diagnosing insulinoma in settings with limited access to advanced imaging.
- This case highlights the importance of surgical exploration in confirming insulinoma when non-invasive methods are inconclusive, particularly in resource-constrained environments.
