Pannu Ateetmani, Shah Simant
Emergency Medicine, Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill, Mullica Hill, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 3;17(8):e89291. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89291. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Insulinomas are rare insulin-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) that can cause profound hypoglycemia, particularly in non-diabetic patients. We report the case of a 56-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status, a witnessed seizure, and recurrent, refractory hypoglycemia. She had no history of diabetes or hypoglycemic agent use and was reportedly in her usual state of health until the event. Initial emergency evaluation revealed persistent hypoglycemia despite dextrose administration. Cross-sectional imaging identified a pancreatic lesion concerning for insulinoma in the appropriate clinical context. Although confirmatory outpatient biochemical testing (e.g., insulin, C-peptide levels) was planned, the patient was ultimately lost to follow-up. This case underscores the critical role of emergency physicians in maintaining a broad differential when evaluating unexplained, refractory hypoglycemia, particularly when formal diagnosis is precluded.
胰岛素瘤是罕见的分泌胰岛素的胰腺神经内分泌肿瘤(PNETs),可导致严重低血糖,尤其是在非糖尿病患者中。我们报告一例56岁女性病例,该患者因精神状态改变、癫痫发作及反复难治性低血糖就诊于急诊科。她无糖尿病史或使用过降糖药物,据报道在此次发病前身体状况正常。初始急诊评估显示,尽管给予了葡萄糖,低血糖仍持续存在。在合适的临床背景下,横断面成像发现胰腺有一个可疑胰岛素瘤的病变。尽管计划进行门诊生化确诊检查(如胰岛素、C肽水平),但该患者最终失访。该病例强调了急诊医生在评估不明原因的难治性低血糖时保持广泛鉴别诊断的关键作用,尤其是在无法进行正式诊断的情况下。