Insulinoma

Insulinoma is the metabolic mirror image of Type 1 diabetes: where Type 1 has zero insulin and maximum ketones, insulinoma has maximum insulin and near-zero ketones. Despite a biochemically straightforward diagnostic signature, the median time from insulinoma symptom onset to diagnosis is approximately 18 months. Insulinomas occur at a rate of approximately 4 cases per million people. Insulinoma is a neuroendocrine tumor arising from mutated pancreatic beta cells that divide uncontrollably and produce insulin continuously without feedback regulation. Misdiagnosis of insulinoma has been documented as fatal in the medical literature. People with undiagnosed insulinoma often develop severe obesity because insulin drives all consumed calories into storage rather than oxidation.