Small cystic insulinoma: Value of arterial stimulation venous sampling

Abstract

Cystic insulinomas are rare, with only three cases having been reported in the literature. It is not difficult to determine the site of such neoplasms, as cystic insulinomas are usually 4-10 cm in diameter. We report a patient with a histologically confirmed cystic insulinoma. This case is unique because of the small size (1.3 cm) of the tumor. Arterial stimulation venous sampling was useful for localizing and distinguishing this tumor from other pancreatic lesions.

Pitfalls in diagnosing a small cystic insulinoma: a case report

“…C-peptide suppression test could have been helpful but in our case on two occasions we obtained two different results [ 7 ]. Cystic endocrine tumours of the pancreas rarely occur, and only a few cases of cystic insulinomas have been reported to date [ 9 ]. Diagnosis of insulinoma could be difficult if the functional activity is incomplete, possibly leading to blunted symptoms of hypoglycaemia and failure of laboratory investigations to provide evidence of hyperinsulinemia [ 8 ].…”