Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Robotic Enucleation of an Intra-Pancreatic Insulinoma in the Pancreatic Head
Published on: January 3, 2020
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic insulinoma
Kidmealem Zekarias1, Mohammad Alutaibi2, Jimmie Stewart2
1Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA kzekaria@umn.edu.
Abstract:
A man in his mid-30s presented to the emergency department following a motor vehicle accident with critically low blood glucose of 1.1 mmol/L (3.9-5.6 mmol/L) noted by emergency medical service and altered mental status. The patient reported progressive symptoms including tremor, sweating and difficulty concentrating, requiring continuous eating throughout the day, weight gain and hypoglycaemia unawareness.A 72-hour supervised fast confirmed endogenous hyperinsulinaemia, after 5 hours, inappropriately elevated insulin of 26 pmol/L (diagnostic cut-off ≥18 pmol/L) and C-peptide >0.33 nmol/L (expected <0.2 nmol/L) with glucose 2.2 mmol/L (3.9-5.6 mmol/L). While CT and DOTATATE-positron emission tomography were negative, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and biopsy identified a 13 mm pancreatic head well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour.EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-guided RFA) achieved immediate symptom resolution with normal postprocedure biochemical profile. In this case, EUS successfully identified the lesion when conventional imaging was negative and EUS-guided RFA resulted in successful treatment in this patient.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
NMR Spectrometers: Radiofrequency Pulses and Pulse Sequences
Endoscopic Studies II: Thoracocentesis
Description
Excess pleural fluid or air may accumulate in some respiratory disorders in the thoracic cavity. To treat pleural effusion, a physician conducts thoracentesis by carefully piercing the chest wall and entering...
Endoscopic Procedures I: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
During an EGD, the endoscope can be used to:
Endoscopic Procedures II: Colonoscopy
Endoscopic Procedures V: ERCP
Patient...

