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Glucagonoma
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* Glucagonoma: Neuroendocrine Tumor of pancreatic islet cells that leads to elevated levels of
glucagon
.
Rare
Usually solitary, sporadic, and present in patients 50+ y.o.
Inherited forms are associated with
MEN 1
Pathophysiology:
Glucagon acts on the liver to increase gluconeogenesis and amino acid oxidation.
Patients often experience weight loss, diarrhea, necrolytic migratory erythema, venous thrombosus, and glucose intolerance (
diabetes mellitus
). Many experience neuropsychiatric abnormalities.
Diagnosis: Symptoms, elevated glucagon, and imaging studies.
Treatment: treat diabetes, nutritional supplementation, and Somatostatin analogs to counter glucagon hypersection.
Often metastatic, particularly to the liver and bones, via the lymph nodes.
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