Recurrent hypoglycemia, a rare case of insulin autoimmune syndrome in a young African American male

Abstract

Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) is an uncommon cause of spontaneous hypoglycemia from hyperinsulinemia due to autoantibodies against endogenous insulin (Jian-Ping Chu, 2016). These individuals have no prior exposure to exogenous insulin. We report a case of a 35-year-old African American male, who presented to Vaughn Regional Medical Center in Selma, AL, after he was found to have seizures from hypoglycemia, with a blood sugar of 63 on presentation. He was never diagnosed with diabetes in the past, nor did he have a history of seizure disorder. He continued to be hypoglycemic during the initial period of his hospital stay. His fasting insulin level was 27 mIU/l (normal is less than 25, with presence of insulin autoantibodies (IAA), and a negative workup otherwise. This led us to include IAS as one of our differentials for his hypoglycemia.