Top Endocrine Publications of 2013: Insulinoma and Other Causes of Hypoglycemia

Insulinoma in a dog, showing a solitary pancreatic nodule

In my fourth compilation of the canine and feline endocrine publications of 2013, I’m going back to disorders of the pancreas. But now let’s move on to islet cell tumors (e.g., insulinoma) and other causes of hypoglycemia.

Listed below are 9 research papers written in 2013 that review endocrine hypoglycemia in dogs and cats.

Most of these papers concentrate on canine insulinoma and include the following: New aspects in gene expression profiling of primary canine insulinomas and their metastases (1,8), an investigation of the use of medetomidine as an adjunct to the anesthetic management of dogs with insulinoma (2), evaluation of a new biweekly streptozotocin protocol for treatment of dogs with insulinoma (4), and finally, a case report of a dog that had an unusually prolonged, asymptomatic, disease-free interval after surgical treatment of insulinoma despite hepatic metastasis (6).

One of these 2013 papers describes a cat with insulinoma, a relatively rare feline endocrine tumor (7). This geriatric cat presented for evaluation of weakness and trembling associated with mild hypoglycemia. Ultrasound revealed a single pancreatic nodule (benign insulinoma), which was surgically excised, resulting in complete and prolonged resolution of all clinical signs associated with hypoglycemia.

Other papers include a review of the use of continuous glucose monitoring in dogs and cats (9), a study of the comparison of glucose fluctuations between day- and night-time measured using a continuous glucose monitoring system in diabetic dogs (3), and finally, a review of the hypoglycemia and liver toxicosis associated with xylitol toxicosis in dogs (5).

References:

1. Buishand FO, Kirpensteijn J, Jaarsma AA, et al. Gene expression profiling of primary canine insulinomas and their metastases. Vet J 2013;197:192-197. 
2. Guedes AG, Rude EP. Effects of pre-operative administration of medetomidine on plasma insulin and glucose concentrations in healthy dogs and dogs with insulinoma. Vet Anaesth Analg 2013;40:472-481. 
3. Mori A, Kurishima M, Oda H, et al. Comparison of glucose fluctuations between day- and night-time measured using a continuous glucose monitoring system in diabetic dogs. J Vet Med Sci 2013;75:113-117. 
4. Northrup NC, Rassnick KM, Gieger TL, et al. Prospective evaluation of biweekly streptozotocin in 19 dogs with insulinoma. J Vet Intern Med 2013;27:483-490. 
5. Peterson ME. Xylitol. Top Companion Anim Med 2013;28:18-20. 
6. Rychel J, Worley DR, Hardy CS, et al. Prolonged survival in an aged labrador retriever with a metastatic insulinoma. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2013;49:224-229. 
7. Schaub S, Wigger A. Ultrasound-aided diagnosis of an insulinoma in a cat. Tierarztliche Praxis Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere 2013;41:338-342. 
8. Schermerhorn T. Canine insulinoma as a model for studying molecular genetics of tumorigenesis and metastasis. Vet J 2013;197:126-127. 
9. Surman S, Fleeman L. Continuous glucose monitoring in small animals. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2013;43:381-406.