Korean J Med.  2000 Sep;59(3):319-324.

A case of hypoglycemia in a patient of hemangiopericytoma with hepatic metastasis

• Park SI
• Kim NS
• Yoo WH
• Park TS
• Back HS

Abstract

Tumour-induced hypoglycemia is usually caused by insulinoma or non-islet-cell neoplasm, such as hemangiopericytoma, fibrosarcoma, mesotheliomas. Most of the neoplasms in non-islet-cell tumour-induced hypoglycemia are mesenchymal type, and have a common features, including large-sized, slow-growing and metastatic involvement of the liver. The mechanisms of hypoglycemia in metastatic liver disease are not clearly defined, and liver failure secondary to hepatic metastasis or insulin or insulin-like mediated process are considered. Glucagon stimulation test has been used to distinguish between insulin-mediated or insulin-like-mediated hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia induced by liver failure. We experinced a case of hypoglycemia in a patient of hemangiopericytoma with liver metastasis in which glucagon stimulation test was used for proper evaluation. We compare this case with previously reported cases, and present here with brief review of literatures.

Keyword

Hemangiopericytoma; Hypoglycemia; Glucagon

MeSH Terms

Fibrosarcoma
Glucagon
Hemangiopericytoma*
Humans
Hypoglycemia*
Insulin
Insulinoma
Liver
Liver Diseases
Liver Failure
Mesothelioma
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Glucagon
Insulin