Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Case Report

Treatment of Hemangiopericytoma-Associated Hypoglycemia with Glucocorticoid Therapy.: Sung Woo Park, Dong Geun Kim, Myung Jin Kim, Hyo Jin Jang, Se Hoon Sohn, Sung Ae Koh, Ha Young Lee, Min Kyoung Kim, Kyoung Hee Lee, Myung Soo Hyun; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2011;28(1):77-83. Published online June 30, 2011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2011.28.1.77

Abstract PDF: Non-islet cell tumor-induced hypoglycemia (NICTH) is associated with mesenchymal tumor types, including hemangiopericytoma, fibrosarcoma, mesothelioma, and neurofibroma, as well as carcinoma of the liver, adrenal glands, and kidneys. Non-islet cell tumors induce hypoglycemia by overproducing an abnormal form of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II). Complete removal of the tumor or reduction of the tumor mass is a successful therapeutic strategy in cases of NICTH. However, if the tumor re-grows, curative resection is nearly impossible, and hypoglycemia occurs repeatedly. Glucocorticoids are effective in terms of long-term relief from hypoglycemia through promotion of gluconeogenesis in the liver, tumor suppression, production of 'big'-IGF-II, and correction of the attendant biochemical abnormalities involving the growth hormone (GH)-IGF axis. We found that administration of corticosteroid therapy to a patient suffering from NICTH resulted in improvement of hypoglycemia associated symptoms.

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