Retrobulbar neuritis as the first sign of the glucagonoma syndrome

A 63-year-old man with a metastasising pancreatic glucagonoma is described, who presented with progressive deterioration of vision and bilateral central scotomata as the first symptom. This patient was treated with dacarbazine (DTIC) 250 mg/m2 IV daily for five consecutive days at 4-week intervals. The vision returned completely to normal, in a clinical and biochemical remission. Although there is no wide experience in treatment, the literature seems to indicate that DTIC should be the drug of choice in treating metastatic glucagonoma. Central scotomata may be a new 'paraneoplastic' symptom and a key to the earlier diagnosis of the glucagonoma syndrome by ophthalmologists, just as necrolytic migratory erythema has been for the dermatologists.