[Islet cell tumor:insulinoma]

Twenty-eight patients with insulinoma treated at our institutions during the years 1935-1983 were available for this study. These patients included 15 males and 13 females ranging 20 to 77 years of age and averaging 48 years.

Inappropriate elevations of plasma insulin (IRI/BS greater than 0.3) in the fasting state were demonstrated in all 18 patients. Accurate tumor localization was defined by arteriography in 61% of 18 patients. Decision of localization by transhepatic portal catheterization and insulin assay was successful in all of 4 patients in whom it was performed. Pathology: Twenty-five patients had a single tumor and 3 had multiple tumors. The tumor was located in the head in 8, in the body in 12 and in the tail in 14. Thirty of 34 tumors were benign and 4 were malignant.

Enucleation was performed in 6 patients, 19 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy and one patient had pancreatoduodenectomy, One patient with occult tumor in the head had 80% resection of the pancreas. One patient with two tiny occult tumors close to the duodenum underwent distal left to right pancreatectomy finally resulting in total pancreatectomy.

There was no operative death and no recurrence of symptoms in all patients after operation.