Diffuse, Adult-Onset Nesidioblastosis/Non-Insulinoma Pancreatogenous Hypoglycemia Syndrome (NIPHS): Review of the Literature of a Rare Cause of Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia

Differential diagnosis of hypoglycemia in the non-diabetic adult patient is complex and comprises various diseases, including endogenous hyperinsulinism caused by functional β-cell disorders. The latter is also designated as nesidioblastosis or non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS). Clinically, this rare disease presents with unspecific adrenergic and neuroglycopenic symptoms and is, therefore, often overlooked. A combination of careful clinical assessment, oral glucose tolerance testing, 72 h fasting, sectional and functional imaging, and invasive insulin measurements can lead to the correct diagnosis. Due to a lack of a pathophysiological understanding of the condition, conservative treatment options are limited and mostly ineffective. Therefore, nearly all patients currently undergo surgical resection of parts or the entire pancreas. Consequently, apart from faster diagnosis, more elaborate and less invasive treatment options are needed to relieve the patients from the dangerous and devastating symptoms. Based on a case of a 23-year-old man presenting with this disease in our department, we performed an extensive review of the medical literature dealing with this condition and herein presented a comprehensive discussion of this interesting disease, including all aspects from epidemiology to therapy.

Reconstruction options following pancreaticoduodenectomy after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer which may be treated with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and represents an increasing morbidity. Post-RYGB anatomy poses considerable challenges for reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), a growing problem encountered by surgeons. We characterize specific strategies used for post-PD reconstruction in the RYGB patient.

METHODS

PubMed search was performed using MeSH terms "Gastric Bypass" and "Pancreaticoduodenectomy" between 2000 and 2018. Articles reporting cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy in post-RYGB patients were included and systematically reviewed for this study.

RESULTS

Three case reports and five case series (25 patients) addressed PD after RYGB; we report one additional case. The typical post-gastric bypass PD patient is a woman in the sixth decade of life, presenting most commonly with pain (69.2%) and/or jaundice (53.8%), median 5 years after RYGB. Five post-PD reconstructive options are reported. Among these, the gastric remnant was resected in 18 cases (69.2%), with reconstruction of biliopancreatic drainage most commonly achieved using the distal jejunal segment of the pre-existing biliopancreatic limb (73.1%). Similarly, in the eight cases where the gastric remnant was spared (30.8%), drainage was most commonly performed using the distal jejunal segment of the biliopancreatic limb (50%). Among the 17 cases reporting follow-up data, median was 27 months.

CONCLUSION

Reconstruction options after PD in the post-RYGB patient focus on resection or preservation gastric remnant, as well as creation of new biliopancreatic limb. Insufficient data exists to make recommendations regarding the optimal reconstruction option, yet surgeons must prepare for the possible clinical challenge. PD reconstruction post-RYGB requires evaluation through prospective studies.

Reconstruction Options for Pancreaticoduodenectomy in Patients with Prior Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

BACKGROUND

Patients with prior Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) operations for weight loss present reconstruction challenges during a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). With over 60,000 RYGB performed annually, the increasing odds of encountering such patients during a PD make it imperative to understand the RYGB anatomy and anticipate reconstruction options. This article describes the possible reconstruction options and their rationale.

METHODS

We reviewed our PD reconstruction options, compared them to what have been described in the literature, and derived a consensus from internal conferences comprising bariatric and hepatopancreatobiliary surgeons to describe known reconstruction options.

RESULTS

In general, reconstruction options can include one of three options: (1) remnant gastrectomy, (2) preservation of gastric remnant, or (3) reversal of gastric bypass.

CONCLUSION

This article describes individualized reconstruction options for RYGB patients undergoing PD. The reconstruction options can be tailored to the needs of the patient.

Dumping syndrome after esophageal, gastric or bariatric surgery: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management

BACKGROUND

Dumping syndrome, a common complication of esophageal, gastric or bariatric surgery, includes early and late dumping symptoms. Early dumping occurs within 1 h after eating, when rapid emptying of food into the small intestine triggers rapid fluid shifts into the intestinal lumen and release of gastrointestinal hormones, resulting in gastrointestinal and vasomotor symptoms. Late dumping occurs 1-3 h after carbohydrate ingestion, caused by an incretin-driven hyperinsulinemic response resulting in hypoglycemia. Clinical recommendations are needed for the diagnosis and management of dumping syndrome.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed through February 2016. Evidence-based medicine was used to develop diagnostic and management strategies for dumping syndrome.

RESULTS

Dumping syndrome should be suspected based on concurrent presentation of multiple suggestive symptoms after upper abdominal surgery. Suspected dumping syndrome can be confirmed using symptom-based questionnaires, glycemia measurements and oral glucose tolerance tests. First-line management of dumping syndrome involves dietary modification, as well as acarbose treatment for persistent hypoglycemia. If these approaches are unsuccessful, somatostatin analogues should be considered in patients with dumping syndrome and impaired quality of life. Surgical re-intervention or continuous enteral feeding may be necessary for treatment-refractory dumping syndrome, but outcomes are variable.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of these diagnostic and treatment recommendations may improve dumping syndrome management.

A Novel Reconstruction Technique During Pancreaticoduodenectomy After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: How I do It

The altered anatomy in patients after bariatric surgery who have undergone a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass may pose a technical challenge for surgical removal of the pancreatic head. We treat patients with pancreas cancer with multimodality therapy in a neoadjuvant fashion followed by pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). In patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass anatomy, the gastric remnant is preserved and used for pancreaticogastrostomy reconstruction and subsequently drained by the same jejunal limb used for the hepaticojejunostomy. This method of reconstruction takes advantage of the previous surgically altered anatomy and avoids the morbidity of a gastric remnant resection at the time of PD.

Postprandial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgical treatment

An association between post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) hypoglycemia and nesidioblastosis was reported in 2005 and may cause serious neuroglycopenic symptoms. Most patients with postprandial hypoglycemia after RYGB respond to nutritional and medical treatment. A subset of patients, however, may not respond adequately and surgery may be considered. This review describes the current experience with surgical intervention for severe post-RYGB hypoglycemia. PubMed and MEDLINE searches were made for reports describing clinical outcome after such surgery. Fourteen papers including 75 patients were identified. Different surgical interventions were applied including gastric tube placement, reversal of the bypass with and without concomitant sleeve resection, gastric pouch restriction, and pancreatic resection and reresection. Pancreatic resection was performed in 51 (68%) patients, 17 (23%) had RYGB reversal and eleven (15%) had gastric pouch restriction alone. Eight (11%) patients received 2 or more consecutive procedures for hypoglycemia and combined interventions were made in several patients. Resolution of the symptoms occurred in 34/51 (67%) patients after pancreatic resection, 13/17 (76%) after reversal, and 9/11 (82%) after pouch restriction. Mean follow up, however, was short for most series and the methods applied for evaluation of hypoglycemia varied. Weight regain, diabetes and recurrent symptoms were late complications. The optimal therapy for hypoglycemia after RYGB is not defined. Long-term evaluations and knowledge about the physiology of post-RYGB hypoglycemia, may enable therapy with improved control of the glucose excursions.

Body mass index and outcomes from pancreatic resection: a review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

There are 1.6 billion adults worldwide who are overweight, with body mass indices (BMI) between 25 and 30, while more than 400 million are obese (BMI >30). Obesity predicts the incidence of and poor outcomes from pancreatic cancer. Obesity has also been linked to surgical complications in pancreatectomy, including increased length of hospital stay, surgical infections, blood loss, and decreased survival. However, BMI's impact on many complications following pancreatectomy remains controversial.

METHODS

We performed a MEDLINE search of all combinations of "BMI" with "pancreatectomy," "pancreatoduodenectomy," or "pancreaticoduodenectomy." From included studies, we created pooled and weighted estimates for quantitative and qualitative outcomes. We used the PRISMA criteria to ensure this project's validity.

RESULTS

Our primary cohort included 2,736 patients with BMI <30, 1,682 with BMI >25, and 546 with BMI between 25 and 30. Most outcomes showed no definitive differences across BMIs. Pancreatic fistula (PF) rates ranged from 4.7% to 31.0%, and four studies found multivariate association between BMI and PF (range odds ratio 1.6-4.2). Pooled analyses of PF by BMI showed significant association (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

BMI increases the operative complexity of pancreatectomy. However, with aggressive peri- and post-operative care, increases in BMI-associated morbidity and mortality may be mitigated.