Objective: To analyze characteristics of patients with endocrine tumors of the pancreas seen between 1960 and 1992 at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición.
Material & methods: The clinical records of 38 patients with endocrine tumors of the pancreas were reviewed. Overall characteristics, diagnostic studies, intraoperative findings, treatment and outcome were analyzed. The archival histological specimens were revised and immunohistochemical stainings were performed in the non-functioning tumors.
Results: Twenty patients had hyperinsulinism, 10 non-functioning tumors, and eight a Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The mean age of patients with hyperinsulinism was 38 years (8 males and 12 females); 18 were sporadic and two associated with MEN I syndrome. In 16 patients an insulinoma was removed: (6 in the head, 5 in the body, 5 in the tail of the pancreas). A cure was documented in 14 patients with sporadic tumors but not in the two cases associated with MEN I; 15 tumors were benign. Three patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome were males and five females with a mean age of 41 years. Seven tumors were sporadic and one associated with the MEN I syndrome; 70% were located in the gastrinoma triangle. Local excision was performed in five and gastrectomy in three. The cure rate was 60% and malignancy was documented in 40%. Two males and eight females with a mean age of 30 years had non-functioning tumors (9 sporadic and one associated to MEN I). There was a positive immunohistochemistry in 60% of the tumors; 90% were malignant and the cure rate was 10%.
Conclusions: Insulinoma is the most common endocrine tumor of the pancreas in our hospital. The cure rate for insulinomas, gastrinomas and non-functioning tumors was 90%, 60% and 10% and malignancy was documented in 5%, 40% and 90% respectively.