Healthy twin birth after autologous islet transplantation in a pancreatectomized patient due to a benign tumor.

OBJECTIVE

Autologous islet transplantation has been reported to show favorable outcomes on glucose metabolism. The objective of this study was to describe successful delivery of twins in an islet recipient who had undergone distal pancreatectomy.

PATIENT

A 35-year-old woman who underwent distal pancreatectomy owing to a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm received an autologous islet transplantation (140,000 islet equivalents). After 2.5 years, she unexpectedly became pregnant. Cesarean section was performed at 35 weeks delivering male twins without complications. Plasma glucose and insulin levels, insulinogenic index, and hemoglobin A1c were measured from the preoperative to the postpartum state as the main outcome.

RESULTS

The patient showed impaired glucose tolerance before pancreatectomy, but improved to a normal glucose tolerance after transplantation, maintaining euglycemia until pregnancy. Because her fasting glucose levels were within the normal range during pregnancy, fasting insulin represented insulin resistance. Her fasting insulin levels abruptly increased in the third trimester of pregnancy, but returned after delivery. Insulinogenic index increased over 1 year after transplantation, but gradually decreased thereafter. During pregnancy, it increased again, but could not compensate for the insulin resistance. Therefore, gestational diabetes mellitus developed: glucose homeostasis recovered to normal after delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

The current report suggested a successful pregnancy after autologous islet transplantation that did not itself permanently deteriorate graft function.