Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with low blood sugar caused by rare insulin tumor outside pancreas
By Kim, Jiwon et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2023·Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ectopic insulinoma in a dog with insulin-induced hypoglycemia: a case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu was brought in for repeated episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Tests showed high insulin levels during these episodes, and imaging revealed a nodule near the kidney that wasn’t connected to the pancreas. During surgery, the nodule was removed, and afterward, the dog's hypoglycemia improved significantly. The nodule was identified as an islet cell carcinoma, a rare type of insulin-producing tumor.
People also search for: dog low blood sugar treatment · Shih Tzu insulinoma symptoms · hypoglycemia in dogs causes
Abstract
A 7-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu dog was presented for evaluation of recurrent hypoglycemia. Serum insulin levels during hypoglycemia were 35.3 μIU/mL. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a mesenteric nodule between the kidney and the portal vein, but no pancreatic mass was observed. During surgery, the nodule had neither anatomical adhesions nor vascular connections to the pancreas. Pancreatic inspection and palpation revealed no abnormalities. Hypoglycemia improved after resection of the nodule. Histopathological examination confirmed the nodule to be an islet cell carcinoma. Although extremely rare, ectopic insulinoma should be considered as a possible cause of insulin-induced hypoglycemia in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37271507/