Surgical treatment of pancreatic insulinomas.

BACKGROUND Insulinoma is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor originated from pancreatic islet beta cells. Although rare, is the most common pancreatic endocrine tumor, with about four cases per million people. The preferential treatment of insulinoma is surgical. AIM To analyze the epidemiological, pathological, clinical and surgical patients treated in the last decade in two surgical services. METHODS Were retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing surgical treatment of insulinoma in the period of 1999 to 2011. Demographic data, type and duration of symptoms, associated or not with endocrine syndrome and diagnostic tests were obtained from medical records. Were analyzed the method of surgery, intraoperative findings and immediate and late complications. RESULTS Sixteen patients with insulinoma underwent surgical treatment, 68,7% were women. The age ranged from 20 to 60 years, with a mean age of 39 years. Only one case was associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Neuropsychiatric manifestations, mainly syncope, were the most prevalent. The average duration of clinical manifestations until the diagnosis was one year and a half. Imaging tests were used in all patients with 68.7% of preoperative tumor localization. All operations were performed in a conventional (open) manner, without use of laparoscopy. The lesions were identified in all portions of the pancreas with the majority in the pancreatic head. Relief of symptoms was not obtained only in one patient. There were no deaths among the patients. CONCLUSION The diagnosis of insulinoma is often established after several months of the onset of clinical manifestations and surgical treatment is curative in almost all patients.