Premium
CARCINOID SYNDROME AND HYPERINSULINISM
Author(s) -
Aronsen K. F.,
Boquist L.,
Falkmer S.,
Hägerstrand I.,
Steiner H.,
Studnitz W. Von
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section a pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-4184
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1970.tb03301.x
Subject(s) - hyperinsulinism , carcinoid syndrome , carcinoid tumour , insulin , congenital hyperinsulinism , medicine , pathology , pancreas , endocrinology , insulin resistance
A 59‐year‐old man with co‐existing carcinoid syndrome and hyperinsulinism is described. The clinical examination revealed multiple tumour foci in an enlarged liver, and a subtotal hepatectomy (800 g) was performed. No primary tumour was revealed. The tumour had a light microscopical picture agreeing with a carcinoid or an insuloma; cytochemically and ultrastructurally most of the tumour cells presented characteristics of an intestinal carcinoid. The evidence of a presence of insulin producing β‐cells in the tumour was rather vague. Biochemically, the tumour tissue showed only a faint insulin‐like activity and a low content of radio‐immunologically measurable insulin. Since the total tumour mass was large, it could, however, not be excluded that production of insulin by some tumour cells may have caused the hyperinsulinism. The possibility of insulin‐releasing substances produced by the tumour cells was also considered possible. A co‐existing islet β‐cell tumour was improbable since both the carcinoid syndrome and the hyperinsulinism disappeared postoperatively.