Pancreatic islet cell tumor

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Endocrine glands

Pancreas

Islet cell tumors; Islet of Langerhans tumor; Neuroendocrine tumors

• Sweating
• Tremor
• Rapid heart rate
• Anxiety
• Hunger
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Clouding of vision
• Confusion
• Behavioral changes
• Convulsions
• Loss of consciousness
• Skin rash that migrates on the face, abdomen, perineum, buttocks, or lower extremities
  • May be crusty and scaly
  • May have raised lesions filled with clear fluid or pus
• Inflamed mouth and tongue
• Weight loss
• Weight gain (unintentional)
• Peptic ulcer pain
• Vomiting blood
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain

Note: The symptoms depend upon the type of tumor and the hormone produced.

The type of tests performed may vary depending upon the symptoms associated with the condition. The following tests may be performed:

• An abdominal CT scan  (sometimes the tumor may be too small to see with a CT scan)
• MRI of abdomen (MRI can sometimes see smaller tumors than those seen with a CT scan)
• Gucose tolerance test
• Fasting glucose level
• Serum insulin C-peptide
• Serum insulin level
• Gastrin level
• Secretin stimulation test for pancreas
• Fasting glucose level
• Serum glucagon level
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Intraductal endoscopic ultrasound
• Sampling of the venous drainage of segments of the pancreas
• Occasionally, the diagnosis and treatment requires exploratory surgery, during which the surgeon feels the pancreas and may use ultrasound probes

Review Date: 05/12/2006
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.