Glucagonoma: Caso clínico

Objectives. Based on a patient with a glucagonome, the clinical and histopathological characteristics of this tumor are described. Methods. A brief clinical history of a patient who was diagnosed to have a glucagonome, based on immunohistochemical analyses, is presented. Medical literature is reviewed about this entity. Results. A 54 years-old female patient, was admitted because of moderate, abdominal poorly localized pain, at the epigastric level, and referred to the mesogastric area. Concomitantly body-weight loss, polyuria, severe constipation, and hyperglycemia, were present. Cholecistectomy was performed because of cholelithiasis three years prior to admission. On physical examination, she presented pain with deep palpatory maneuvers at the epigastric and mesogastric areas. Without other particular findings. She presented fasting-blood glucose of 325 mg/dL, and 531 mg/dL in postprandial conditions. Insulin treatment was started, without improvement of the metabolic alteration. Consequently, insulin was administered associated with a sensitized, improving the glycemic control. An abdominal TAC was performed, revealing a mixed tumor, located in the posterior abdomen, well delimited, and measuring 55.3 x 54.8 x 51.7 mm. The head of the pancreas was not compromised. Due to difficulties in the control of the metabolic alterations, and under the suspicion of a pancreas functional tumor, it was considered the use of a somatostin analogous, which was never applied because of its high cost. Laparotomy was performed, and a total tumor resection was accomplished. The metabolic conditions improved after surgery. The histopathological findings were compatible with pancreatic insular cells, and immunohistochemically positive for glucagon. Conclusions. The glucagonome is rare clinical and pathological entity. It could be expressed as a diabetes. The difficulties to achieve a good metabolic control of the diabetes, and the continued weight loss, could be the clue for the diagnosis.