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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Robotic Enucleation of an Intra-Pancreatic Insulinoma in the Pancreatic Head
Published on: January 3, 2020
Insulinoma associated with pregnancy
Adriana G Diaz1, Javier Herrera, Mariana López
1Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Objective:
To report three cases of insulinoma associated with pregnancy.
Design:
Case report.
Setting:
Divisions of Endocrinology and Gastroenterologic Surgery, Hospital de Clínicas, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Patient(S):
Three patients with hypoglycemic signs due to insulinoma appearing during pregnancy or shortly after delivery.
Intervention(S):
Laparoscopic excision of insulinoma in two and laparotomy in one of the patients were performed after the end of their pregnancies.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Disappearance of hypoglycemic crises and histologic proof of insulinomas.
Result(S):
In two of the three patients, hypoglycemia occurred within 2-12 weeks after delivery, suggesting that signs could have been masked because of metabolic changes during gestation; in the third patient, hypoglycemia appeared in the first trimester but was misinterpreted.
Conclusion(S):
Insulinoma is often not suspected during the first trimester of pregnancy because signs resemble episodes of hypotension or emesis. Later, with the increase in insulin resistance, symptoms subside.
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