Diagnostic and treatment difficulties in insulinomas
Journal Title: Revista de Medicină Militară - Year 2015, Vol 0, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (NTP) comprise a unique and relatively rare group of tumors, of which gastrinoma and insulinoma are the most common types. Insulinomas tend to be small, solitary and benign, with surgical resection curable in most cases. Introduction: Insulinomas are localized preoperatively using conventional imaging studies as transabdominal ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Purpose: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of insulinomas. Goals & methods: We performed a retrospective study on 21 patients with insulinoma (6 male and 15 female, 25 to 73 years of age), who were hospitalized and operated on between 2003 and 2012 at “Dr. Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency University Hospital, Bucharest. Results: US view was positive in 10% of patients (2 of 20), that presented proximal location. The sensitivity of CT was unsatisfactory, 21.05% (4 positive results of 19). CT failed to detect liver metastases, but identified nodal metastasis in one patient. MRI was performed in 18 patients and was diagnostic in 11 of them, recording a detection sensitivity of 61.11%, including infra-centimetric tumor size. EUS has a high resolution which allows detection of lesions with very small diameter is safe and minimally invasive. EUS was performed in all patients, being able to identify formations in 17, was inconclusive in 3, showing a diagnosis sensitivity of 81%. Liver metastases were demonstrated in 3 patients, one by US and all 3 by MRI. Conclusions: - CT with intravenous iodinated contrast agent had a poor sensitivity in detecting the primary tumors, was insensitive in detecting liver metastases, but showed metastases in lymph nodes. - MRI has higher sensitivity than CT in detecting primary tumors, including insulinomas with infracentimetric size, and is the imaging test of choice for possible liver metastases. - EUS is the preoperative imaging test of choice.
Authors and Affiliations
Mariana Jinga, Irina Sima, Emilia Rusu, Aurelian Ranetti, Florentina Ionita Radu, Sandica Bucurica, Raluca S. Costache, Mihaita Patrasescu, Bogdan Macadon, Petrut Nuta, Vasile Balaban
Atypical Cogan syndrome; case report
Cogan syndrome is a rare disease characterized by the concomitance of non-syphilitic interstitial keratitis with Meniere-like vestibulo-auditory symptoms. There are criteria for the diagnosis of both typical and atypical...
Multidisciplinary approach to anemia
Introduction: We present the case of a 65 years- old woman who was admitted with a severe macrocytic anemia Hb= 5.7g/dl and diffuse bone pain. Biologically she has moderate thrombocytopenia 35 000/µl, a hepatic cytolysis...
Towards an integrated medical system for radiological medical imaging investigations
The continuously increasing number of medical investigations using radiological methods imposes the strong necessity of informing patients about benefits and risks regarding radiation absorbed doses. Tracking the radiati...
Efficacy and safety of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir+ Dasabuvir and Ribavirin in patients with compensated HCV cirrhosis
Background and aim: Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir+Dasabuvir in association with ribavirin was the only interferon-free regimen available in 2015 in Romania for compensated HCV cirrhosis. The aim of our study is to re...
Syrian war shrapnel injury: cubital nerve defect grafting during humanitarian surgical mission. Clinical case presentation
Background and aim of this clinical case presentation is to reveal the importance of early nerve injury diagnosis and surgical treatment in war wounded patients. Methods. The author treated patients in Amman Charity Hos...