An insulinoma is a functional tumor of the pancreatic beta cells that keeps releasing insulin when blood glucose is already low. It is the most common pancreatic tumor in dogs and behaves as a malignancy in more than 95% of cases, so most dogs eventually relapse. The disease shows up as episodes of collapse, weakness or seizures. Diagnosis rests on one well-timed blood sample, and the choice between surgery and medical therapy depends on staging.
Key facts
Insulinoma at a glance- Species / system: Dog; endocrine pancreas (beta cells of the islets of Langerhans).
- Cause: Neoplastic beta cells that secrete insulin without normal negative feedback from falling glucose.
- Classic presentation: A middle-aged to older, medium or large dog with episodic seizures, weakness or collapse after fasting, exercise or excitement that improve with food or glucose.
- Diagnosis: Glucose below 3.5 mmol/L (63 mg/dL) with insulin above 10 µU/mL in the same sample, then contrast-enhanced CT to stage. Histopathology confirms.
- Treatment: Surgery (partial pancreatectomy or enucleation) gives the longest survival; diet, prednisolone and diazoxide control relapse or inoperable disease.
- Not zoonotic or reportable.
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 6 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 18 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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