Pasireotide for Refractory Hypoglycemia in Malignant Insulinoma- Case Report and Review of the Literature
Sandrine Oziel-Taïeb, Jemima Maniry-Quellier, Brice Chanez, Flora Poizat, Jacques Ewald, Patricia Niccoli
Abstract
Malignant insulinomas are functional neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas and the primary cause of tumor-related hypoglycemia. Malignant insulinoma is rare and has a poor prognosis. We report a case of metastatic malignant insulinoma in a 64-year-old female patient with severe and refractory hypoglycemia. After several ineffective locoregional and systemic therapeutic lines for the secretory disease, the introduction of pasireotide, a second-generation somatostatin analog, provided an improved clinical and secretory evolution both quickly and sustainably, with an excellent safety profile. Pasireotide is an effective and well-tolerated therapy in the treatment of refractory hypoglycemia in metastatic insulinoma.