What is Glucagon

Description

Glucagon is a neoplasm that develops in the pancreas from alpha cells. Synthesizes glucagon, causes the appearance of a rash on the body, characteristic erosion. Patients have hyperglycemia.

The tumor grows very slowly, but in most cases it acquires a malignant course, leading to a general exhaustion of the body. More women are affected by the disease after 60 years.

Reasons for

Scientists do not name exact reasons. This type of neoplasm often develops in the presence of multiple endocrine neoplasias. Tumors( benign and malignant) develop simultaneously in several glands of the body, incl. And in the pancreas.

Symptoms of

In the cells of the pancreas, hormones are synthesized( produced): insulin and glucagon( increases the blood glucose content).If a patient has Glucagonoma, then the pancreas secretes too much of these hormones. Symptoms of a tumor that produces glucagon are similar to those of diabetes mellitus.

Symptoms of glucagon The first thing that a specialist-endocrinologist pays attention to when examining a patient:

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  • a sharp decrease in weight;
  • thirst;
  • frequent and profuse urination;
  • anemia is normochromic;
  • hyperlipidemia.

Characteristic symptoms of the disease are:

  • rash, which appears more often on the limbs due to metabolic disorders;
  • cheilitis( inflammation) of the tongue;
  • gingivitis;
  • glossitis;
  • stomatitis;
  • balanitis and vaginitis( rarely).

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on the following activities:

  • patient complaint analysis;
  • general visual inspection of the skin;
  • palpation of the abdomen.

Laboratory tests:

  1. Determination of glucagon level.
  2. Complete blood count.
  3. Biochemical blood test.
  4. Determination of blood sugar level.
  5. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test( glucose assimilation by the body).

Instrumental studies:

  1. ultrasound of the abdominal cavity( the goal is to identify the presence of a tumor).
  2. Computerized tomography of the abdominal cavity.

Treatment of

Treatment of glucagon The main manifestation of glucagonoma is migrating necrolytic erythema. The treatment suits very badly.

Surgical removal of the tumor leads to recovery in 30% of cases due to metastasis in the liver. But after resection of the neoplasm, very often the regression of the symptoms of the disease occurs.

If it is not possible to perform a surgical intervention, medications are prescribed that suppress the growth and multiplication of neoplastic cells. In a number of patients, the effect is provided by substitution therapy with zinc.

Chemotherapy is often ineffective. For injections, octreotide and additionally pancreatic enzymes are prescribed.

If the neoplasm is inoperable, then combined therapy with the administration of streptozocin and doxorubicin is prescribed. Drugs reduce the concentration of gluconic and improve the health of patients, but do not affect their survival at all.

For the treatment of external skin eruptions, the means containing zinc are used. Can appoint zinc-containing agents and for oral administration.

Symptomatic treatment of

Symptomatic treatment assumes:

  • normalization of body weight;
  • stabilization of blood glucose level;
  • normalization of skin condition;
  • prophylaxis of vein thrombosis, as well as thromboembolic complications;
  • general improvement in the quality of life of patients.

Great importance is attached to preoperative preparation to reduce postoperative risk and improve the patient's exchange status.

For this, the following activities are carried out:

  1. A high-calorie diet is prescribed for patients with a large weight loss.
  2. Enriched with vitamins and minerals, as well as zinc diet. Zinc sulfate, taken orally, can cause a complete remission of the lesions of the skin.
  3. Simultaneous introduction of a mixture of glucose and amino acids provides correction of catabolic( destruction) of hypoaminoacidemia.
  4. Anemia shows a blood transfusion.

Glucocorticoids and antibiotics reduce skin rashes, prevent the formation of thrombotic anticoagulants. Diabetes mellitus in this treatment requires only the observance of dietary nutrition.

Preoperative preparation takes up to 6 weeks, the patient is adequately prepared for surgery.

Folk remedies

Folk methods of glucagonoma treatment Folk remedies for glucagon can only be used as a supplement to traditional treatment. But the doctor should approve the prescriptions.

The most effective folk recipes are:

  1. Potato juice. From the carefully washed, but not peeled tubers of potatoes must squeeze juice. Drink before eating a glass for 7 days. Next - a break, too, 7 days, etc.
  2. Mummy. Dispense the tablet into 0.5 liters of water. Half the money to drink before breakfast, the second - before bed.
  3. The roots of a dandelion. Pour a glass of boiling water a spoonful of roots, insist for 50 minutes. Drink after eating an hour 3 times a day. Similarly, burdock roots are used.

It is useful to take fortifying tinctures:

  • tincture of magnolia vine;
  • Eleutherococcus;
  • of ginseng.

Complications of

Possible complications in glucagon:

  1. The spread of cancer metastases to the liver.
  2. Damage to the tissues of the skin, a metabolic( metabolic) disorder caused by a high sugar content in the blood.

Prevention

Prophylaxis of the disease is not developed. The glucagonome prognosis depends on the stage of the disease on which the tumor is defined.

In the early stages of glucagonoma detection, the result is often favorable.

If the tumor is diagnosed in a timely manner and its radical removal is performed, then a prolonged remission is possible.