GLUCAGONOMA
Abstract
Glucagonomas are rare endocrine tumours that originate ίn the pancreas and secrete excessive amounts of glucagon. They are large and are located in the body and tail of the pancreas. The clinical features of the glucagonoma syndrome are the necrolytίc migratory erythema, the glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus, the hypoaminoacidemia and the weight loss. All these help to suspect the diagnosis and check the plasma glucagon and amino acid concentrations that confirm the diagnosis.
We describe the diagnostic and operative problems we face in a woman 52 years old with a tumour in the head of the pancreas and obstructive signs in the duodenum. She had only epigastric and back pain as the initial manifestation, moderate diabetes mellitus, weight loss, anaemia and obstruction in the duodenum. The fϊnal diagnosis οf glucagonoma was confirmed only after the immunoistochemical study of the tumour. We discuss our results 20 months after the surgical resection οf the tumour (pancreatoduodenectomy).
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