Glucagonoma history and symptoms

Symptoms of glucagonoma include necrolytic migratory erythema, weight loss, glucose intolerance, cheilosis, stomatitis, diarrhea, polyuria, and polydipsia. A positive family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 may be present.

• When evaluating a patient for glucagonoma, you should take a detailed history of the presenting symptom (onset, duration, and progression), other associated symptoms, and a thorough review of past medical history.
• Other specific areas of focus when obtaining the history include the family history of predisposing genetic disorders such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Common symptoms of glucagonoma include:^[1][2][3][4]

• Necrolytic migratory erythema (NME) is a classical symptom observed in patients with glucagonoma and is present in 80% of cases. Associated NME is characterized by the spread of erythematous blisters and swelling across areas subject to greater friction and pressure, including the lower abdomen, buttocks, perineum, and groin.
• Weight loss
• Glucose intolerance

Less common symptoms of glucagonoma include:^[5][6][7]

• Cheilosis
• Intraabdominal hemorrhage
• Venous thrombosis
• Stomatitis
• Diarrhea
• Polyuria
• Polydipsia
• Polyphagia
• Blurred vision
• Neuropsychiatric manifestations include depression, dementia, psychosis, and agitation
• Dilated cardiomyopathy

• Some patients do not present with hormonal symptoms but present with metastatic symptoms in other organs and mainly the liver.
  • These symptoms include jaundice, edema, and abdominal pain.
  • There is usually high level of substances such as chromogranins, enolase, pancreatic polypeptide, and ghrelin in patients with metastases.

• Some tumors can develop additional syndromes subsequently due to secretion of more than one hormone.

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