Insulinoma in pregnancy (a case presentation and systematic review of the literature)

Abstract

Insulinomas are rare, benign and functional tumors that coincidentally may become overt during pregnancy or in the post-partum period. As the general symptoms of a pregnancy might cover the clinical presentation, diagnosing remains challenging. We present one additional case of a post-partum insulinoma, combined with a systematic review of the literature to sum up relevant details in diagnosis and treatment. A systematic request of Pubmed/Medline was conducted using the following terms: “insulinoma AND pregnancy” and “insulinoma” for a second request of ClinicalTrials.gov. All publications concerning pregnant or post-partum women with insulinoma were included. Thirty-six cases could be identified for analysis. Each publication was reviewed for demographic, diagnostic and therapeutic data. The most frequent clinical signs were unconsciousness and neurological symptoms. 64.9% were diagnosed during early pregnancy and 35.1% post-partum. 91.9% underwent surgery with a third resected during pregnancy without severe influence on fetal or maternal outcome. Three patients died of metastatic disease or misdiagnosing, two of them miscarried. Insulinoma in pregnancy is rare but should be considered in case of unclear hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Surgery can be performed during the second trimester or post-partum with promising outcome.