Double jeopardy: hypoglycaemia and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Nonislet cell tumour-induced hypoglycaemia is an uncommon, but serious complication of malignancy. The aetiopathogenesis is largely as a result of tumoral overproduction of incompletely processed insulin-like growth factor-II. We describe the case of a 30-year-old black male patient who presented with recurrent hypoglycaemic episodes in the absence of diabetes or any medications known to cause hypoglycaemia. Extensive investigations revealed that the hypoglycaemia was the result of an advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Keywords: hypoglycaemia, non-islet cell tumour-induced hypoglycaemia, insulin-like growth factor-II, hepatocellular carcinoma