Diagnostic features of benign pancreatic insulinomas. An analysis of three cases.

Insulinoma is a neuroendocrine tumour deriving mainly from the pancreatic islet cells that produces excessive amounts of insulin. Accurate preoperative detection and localization of insulinoma is essential for the selection of appropriate candidates for surgery. We present the case reports of three patients with benign pancreatic insulinoma. Preoperative assessment was performed by using transabdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Their performances for the effectiveness in detecting and localizing benign insulinoma were compared. We concluded that an appropriate preoperative imaging assessment was in our case impossible, intraoperative inspection and palpation of the pancreas still being superior.