Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Robotic Enucleation of an Intra-Pancreatic Insulinoma in the Pancreatic Head
Published on: January 3, 2020
Insulinoma in Iran: a 20-year review
Bagher Larijani1, Shahriar Aghakhani, Shams Sadat Moosavi Lor
1Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Iran. emrc@sina.tums.ac.ir
Background:
The time between onset of symptoms of insulinoma to diagnosis ranges from 10 days to more than 20 years. To help physicians make an earlier diagnosis, we defined the clinical, imaging and paraclinical characteristics of insulinoma in cases from seven referral hospitals in Iran over two decades.
Methods:
The medical records of 68 cases with biochemical or histological evidences of insulinoma were reviewed.
Results:
More males were affected (53%). The mean age at diagnosis was 39 +/- 15.3 years. The mean duration of symptoms was 39.9 +/- 59.3 months. Eighty-four percent of patients had been initially misdiagnosed as cereberovascular accident (CVA), epilepsy, conversion disorder, and others). Neuroadrenergic symptoms were observed in 89.6% and and neuroglycopenic symptoms in 97% of patients. Mean diameter of tumours was 2.9 cm (range, 1 cm to 8.5 cm). Of 52 pathologically confirmed cases of insulinoma, 43 tumours (87.8%) were single and 49 (94.2%) were benign. Fifty-five patients had undergone surgery, with a successful outcome in 44 (80%).
Conclusion:
The high incidence of neuroglycopenic symptoms suggest the clinical impression of insulinoma when patients present with a suggestive clinical syndrome. The clinical impression is essential to decrease the frequent delay in the diagnosis of insulinoma.
Related Concept Videos
Type I Diabetes I: Introduction
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology

