[Congenital hyperinsulinism revealed by sudden infant death]

Abstract

We report the case of a girl of 5 and a half months admitted for discomfort and consciousness loss at home and supported on sudden infant death protocol. Workup was negative. Autopsy showed only signs of asphyxia. Microscopic examination of the pancreas showed hypertrophic beta cells of Langerhans islets, explaining death linked to severe hypoglycemia by inappropriate insulin hypersecretion. This observation highlights the importance of the management of sudden infant unexpected death according to the protocol of the National Health Authority, which includes an autopsy with complete sampling, which in this case resulted in a diagnosis of unknown disease the lifetime of the child.

Keywords: Autopsie; Autopsy; Congenital hyperinsulinism; Hyperinsulinisme congénital; Mort inattendue de l’enfant; Sudden infant death.