Laparoscopic enucleation of insulinoma in the pancreas: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

We report a case of islet cell tumor of the pancreas managed by laparoscopic surgery. A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital after fainting from hypoglycemia. Diagnostic imaging showed a small tumor 1 cm in diameter in the body of the pancreas. Laparoscopic enucleation of the tumor was performed with laparoscopic coagulating shears. The operation time was 210 minutes, and there were no perioperative complications such as pancreatic leakage. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the seventh postoperative day. The histopathologic diagnosis was insulin-producing islet cell tumor. This method is technically feasible and safe for the management of small islet cell tumors located on the surface of the pancreas.