Hypoglycemia in a child with hepatoblastoma

A five-year-old boy with hepatoblastoma, who showed a severe hypoglycemia as an initial symptom, was studied. After resection of tumors, hypoglycemia disappeared and did not recur despite recurrence of tumor. A high concentration of insulin-like activity (ILA) was found in preoperative serum and in the tumor extract. Hypoglycemia in this patient seemed to depend mainly on ILA and in part on liver enzyme activities related to carbohydrate metabolism.