Factitious Hypoglycemia Research Articles

8255 Munchausen Syndrome After Partial Pancreatectomy for Insulinoma: A Case Report

Abstract Disclosure: C.R. de Macedo: None. T.D. Bertolacini da Silva: None. I.P. de Magalhães: None. M.A. Pereira: None. I.C. Marques: None. J.L. Pinheiro Filho: None. G.F. Darce: None. D.M. Lourenço Junior: None. Background: Insulinoma is a rare, insulin-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, most commonly benign, solitary, sporadic, well differentiated and with a slight female predominance. The investigation of hypoglycemia requires a fasting test to exclude, among other causes, factitious hypoglycemia. Clinical Case: A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room after seizure by hypoglycemic crisis (capillary blood glucose < 55 mg/dL). She had recurrent episodes of adrenergic/neuroglycopenic symptoms since the age of 14, occurring during fasting, mainly in the morning, with improvement after eating. After confirming Whipple's triad, a fasting test showed hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (glycemia 53 mg/dL, normal value >55 mg/dL; insulin 11.5 mcU/mL, nv <3mcU/mL) and increased C-peptide (3.83 ng/mL, nv <0,6 ng/mL). Abdominal magnetic resonance showed a 1.4 cm nodule in the pancreas tail. During hospitalization, she experienced Raynaud's phenomenon, leading to the diagnosis of Raynaud's disease (RD). Distal pancreatectomy was performed, confirming the diagnosis of insulinoma by immunohistochemistry. There was brief remission of the hypoglycemic episodes once they recurred two weeks later. As imaging tests did not show new pancreatic lesions, somatostatin analogue was begun, resulting in improvement for a few more weeks. Due to recurrent hypoglycemia and new seizures, she required continuous intravenous infusion of glucose during hospitalization. A new fasting test revealed hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (glycemia 42 mg/dL, insulin 43.3 mcU/mL), low C-peptide (0.5 ng/mL) and normal proinsulin (2.39 pmol/L, nv <5 pmol/L) values. Due RD, auto-immune hypoglycemia was excluded by negative anti-insulin antibodies. Insulinomatosis was also considered, as potential etiology, but review of surgical specimen excluded this hypothesis. After 4 months of hospitalization, due suspicious behavior, a review of her personal belongings revealed insulin vials and needles for injection. The patient confessed to applying insulin to simulate the symptoms, also revealing a history of childhood trauma and previous suicide attempts. After psychiatric evaluation, borderline personality disorder was identified, and Munchausen syndrome was considered. Since then, the patient did not require intravenous glucose with no recurrence of hypoglycemia. Conclusion: The investigation of hypoglycemia can be challenging, requiring appropriate diagnostic protocols. Even in patients who appear to have a well-defined diagnosis, as in our case with anatomopathological confirmation of insulinoma, it is always important to rule out factitious hypoglycemia. The incorrect diagnosis can lead to inappropriate invasive and surgical procedures with definitive consequences, such as exogenous pancreatic insufficiency and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Presentation: 6/1/2024

B-150 Chromatographic Separation and Quantitation of Human Insulin and Lispro Analog in Serum Using Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract Background Factitious hypoglycemia, a deliberate attempt to induce low blood glucose levels occurring secondary to the surreptitious administration of exogenous insulin, can be difficult to diagnose due to a variety of factors including the increased use of synthetic insulin analogs in clinical practice. Traditional insulin immunoassays demonstrate variable cross-reactivity with commonly prescribed insulin analogues and their metabolites, making it difficult to measure specific analogs. The development of liquid chromatography high resolution accurate mass (LC-HRAM)-mass spectrometry (MS) assays has largely circumvented the limitations of traditional immunoassays for detection and quantitation of insulin analogs. Analytical challenges remain, however, specifically in differentiating lispro, an isomeric human insulin analog formed by the transposition of proline and lysine near the C-terminal end of the B chain, from human insulin in patient samples due to the equivalent mass-to-charge ratios of their precursor ions. Methods Immunoaffinity purification of insulin from calibrators and quality control material prepared by spiking insulin-depleted serum with pharmaceutical insulin preparations, as well as patient samples, was performed using tips coupled with anti-insulin monoclonal antibody. An automated liquid handler was programmed to perform aspiration and dispense cycles. Eluate from the purification protocol was submitted for analysis using a TLX-2 multiplex LC system paired with a Thermo Scientific Q Exactive Plus mass spectrometer. Various HPLC column chemistries were evaluated, a column passivation procedure was established, and column heater temperature was optimized to identify a combination of parameters yielding the best chromatographic separation of human insulin and lispro. Additionally, parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) targeted tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis was utilized in combination with the full scan data to increase specificity through the monitoring of fragment ions produced from human insulin and each insulin analog. Results We found that a 1000 Å Diphenyl, 2.7 µm, 2.1 x 100 mm analytical column in a column heater maintained at a temperature of 80°C allowed for human insulin and lispro to be differentiated as two chromatographically separated extracted ion chromatographic peaks (XICs) and quantified down to 2.5 mcIU/mL with near-baseline separation. Before use, the column required passivation with a high protein buffer (0.05% bovine serum albumin in 20% acetonitrile [ACN] + 0.2% acetic acid) followed by increasingly organic buffers (20% ACN + 0.2% acetic acid and 50% ACN + 0.2% acetic acid). MS/MS was used to confirm the presence of analogs detected. Conclusions The LC-HRAM-MS method described here, coupled with optimized column chemistry, column passivation, and proper column temperature control allows for chromatographic separation of human insulin and lispro. Incorporating a PRM scan into the mass spectrometry full scan method provides confirmation of the insulin detected in the XICs. The results obtained from preliminary studies suggest this method is appropriate for use to facilitate the clinical investigation of suspected factitious hypoglycemia with the ability to differentiate isomeric compounds, such as human insulin and lispro.

Insights into insulin analog cross-reactivity: a comparative study of Siemens Atellica and LC-MS/MS.

To address the challenges posed by inconsistent detection of analog insulin in commercially available insulin immunoassays, resulting in potential discrepancies in clinical findings and misdiagnosis during the investigation of factitious hypoglycemia., we aimed to evaluate the ability of the Siemens Atellica automated immunoassay to detect insulin analogs compared with LC-MS/MS. Five insulin analogs were analyzed at 10 ng/mL spiked into serum samples, with recombinant human insulin as positive controls. Insulin and C-peptide assays were performed using Siemens Atellica and LC-MS/MS. Recovery rates were calculated. Siemens Atellica immunoassay demonstrated robust cross-reactivity (92-121%) of insulin analogs. In contrast, glargine was detected by LC-MS/MS but other analogs were not observed (<10% recovery). Our results indicate that the insulin assay conducted on the Siemens Atellica platform could be used to diagnose factitious hypoglycemia by detecting the specific insulin analogs involved. The findings from our studies indicate the suitability of this method for clinical laboratory use in cases where factitious hypoglycemia is under consideration as a potential diagnosis. Clinicians should take these results into account when interpreting insulin measurements, particularly in instances where insulin analog overdose is suspected.

Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management of Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia in Adults: A Single-center Experience.

Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia (HH) is a rare condition characterized by inappropriately elevated insulin levels in the presence of low glucose levels. A proper diagnostic framework is fundamental to avoid patients undergoing unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic invasive procedures. The study aimed to assess the clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, and treatment of a single-center cohort of patients affected by HH. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from January 2000-2023. Our study included 104 patients: 81 (58% F) affected by insulinoma, 11 (91% F) by autoimmune hypoglycemia, 7 (71% M) by post-gastric surgery hypoglycemia, and 5 (80% F) by factitious hypoglycemia. HH was more frequent in females (63 F vs. 41 M, p-value 0.039). The median age at diagnosis was lower in insulinoma than in the autoimmune group (52.7 vs. 63.7 y, p < 0.001). During the hypoglycemic event, insulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in autoimmune hypoglycemia than in insulinoma (insulin 324.6 vs. 36.4 μU/ml, p-value 0.033; C-peptide 14.25 vs. 3.99 ng/ml, p-value 0.003). Specifically, C-peptide levels <9.6 ng/ml and insulin levels <75 μU/ml exhibited 97.3% vs. 93.4% sensitivity and 80% vs. 90% specificity for insulinoma diagnosis, respectively. Regarding insulinoma, the sensitivity of localizing imaging was 88% for Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), 86% for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), 82% for Computed Tomography (CT) scan, 52% for nuclear imaging, and 100% for angiography with the Doppman test. Among insulinoma patients, 79% received surgical treatment while 4% radiofrequency ablation. Symptomatic remission occurred in 100% of cases. We have confirmed insulinoma as the primary cause of HH. The autoimmune form should be suspected when insulin and C-peptide levels are markedly elevated.

Munchausen syndrome in endocrinology: about two case reports of factitious hypoglycemia

Munchausen syndrome in endocrinology: about two case reports of factitious hypoglycemia

HPLC-MS/MS in the diagnosis of factitious hypoglycemia: A case report

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Factitious hypoglycemia in insulin-treated diabetic patients

Factitious hypoglycemia is a factitious disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), referring to intentionally covertly induced hypoglycemia, with potentially severe consequences. Knowledge of factitious hypoglycemia relies on case reports, and evidence-based information and guidelines are lacking. Diagnosing factitious hypoglycemia in insulin-treated diabetic persons is therefore challenging and often requires a long and costly process. Moreover, the typical metrics proposed to differentiate insulin-induced factitious hypoglycemia from insulinoma (i.e., high insulin and low C-peptide versus high insulin and high C-peptide, respectively) are not always applicable, depending on whether the insulin quantification method can detect the insulin analog. When factitious hypoglycemia is suspected, an emerging trend from recent publications advocates a combination of two insulin quantification methods with different cross-reactivity for insulin analogs, early on in the diagnostic process.

Introduction: The Journal of Clinical Ethics, the MacLean Center, and the Future of Clinical Ethics.

Introduction: The Journal of Clinical Ethics, the MacLean Center, and the Future of Clinical Ethics.

Insulinoma misdiagnosed as factitious hypoglycemia

Insulinoma misdiagnosed as factitious hypoglycemia

Munchausen syndrome with factitious hypoglycemia due to deliberate insulin analog administration and factitious hyperglycemia in a patient with hypothyroidism

BackgroundHypoglycemic syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to the disruption of brain and internal organ functions, and in severe cases to irreparable consequences or death. Factitious hypoglycemia (FH) is the deliberate use of insulin preparations or oral hypoglycemic drugs with the aim of lowering blood glucose levels into the pathologically-hypoglycemic range. Deliberate administration of insulin analogs may be difficult to prove because they might not have epitopes or containing low affinity epitopes that are the targets of antibodies used in particular assay kits.Case presentationA 34 years old woman was admitted to the Endocrinology Research Centre in September 2021 with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. Upon admission she complained of high glycemia indexes up to a maximum of 34 mmol/l ( 612 mg/dl), high TSH and low free T4 ( fT4) concentrations, despite reporting regular levothyroxine administration at a dose of 200 mcg per day. Under nursing supervision, her fT4 was rapidly normalized suggesting non-compliance as the cause of low thyroid hormone milieu. Glycemic fluctuations from 33 to 2.1 mmol/l (594 to 38 mg/dl) according to glucometer measurements were observed against the background of Lis-Pro insulin therapy, while no hyperglycemia was registered in venous blood and in the interstitial fluid concomitantly with the values found by glucometer. It was assumed that the patient’s fingers were intentionally contaminated with glucose solution. Factitious hypo- and hyperglycemia were suspected. During yet another episode of hypoglycemia (1.86 mmol/L, 33 mg/dl) venous blood was drawn. Low to low-normal insulin and C-peptide values were found: 2.2 µU/ml (Roche kit) and 1.18 ng/ml, respectively. Therefore, insulin concentration in the same sample was re-tested with another kit (Abbott) and a significantly elevated value of 89.9 µU/ml was detected. Based on these results, FH was confirmed due to exogenous administration of an insulin analog undetectable by the Roche kit.ConclusionThis clinical example illustrates to draw attention to multiple manipulations employed by subjects with Munchhausen Syndrome. In addition, this diagnosis may be further complicated by the laboratory use of immunoassay kits incapable of detecting some insulin analogs.

PSUN278 Factitious hypoglycemia, diagnostic delay due to insulin assay failure to detect insulin analogues.

Abstract Factitious hypoglycemia may be difficult to diagnose clinically. Hypoglycemia due to insulin self-administration is established by the presence of a low c-peptide and elevated plasma insulin levels. Commercial insulin assays often fail to detect insulin analogs and can create confusion among providers investigating causes of hypoglycemia. A 20 year old female with no significant past medical history presented to an Emergency Room (ER) with hypoglycemia. She was treated with a single dose of octreotide 150 mcg, dexamethasone 10 mg PO and started on a D10W drip at 100ml/hr prior to transfer. Laboratory studies on transfer reported plasma glucose 52ng/dL (RR: 70-100), low C-peptide 0.02 (RR: 0.78-5.19), low insulin level &amp;lt;0.087 uIU/mL, normal IGF-I level 122 ng/mL (RR: 85-370). Normal IGF-II level 401 ng/mL (RR: 333-967), and low Pro-insulin level 1.8 pmol/L (RR: 3.6-22 pmol/L). Sulfonylurea Screen was negative. The patient and her mother both denied exogenous insulin use. The patient and her mother both work in healthcare. The patient's boyfriend has type 1 diabetes mellitus and the patient stated she keeps insulin in her purse for him. The patient was admitted for a 72 hour fast and remained normoglycemic. An aliquot of the admission ER insulin blood sample was sent to second laboratory utilizing an assay able to detect analog insulins. The patient's sample previously reporting an undetectable insulin level (&amp;lt;0.087 uIU/mL) now reported an insulin level 8 uIU/mL. Factitious hypoglycemia is a challenging clinical diagnosis. The term factitious implies an attempt to deceive and creates mistrust between the physician and patient. However, hypoglycemia may be the result of medication errors or administered by a second party with the intent to harm. Analog insulins (glargine, aspart, lispro, glulisine, etc) are genetically modified insulins developed to mimic the physiologic pattern of pancreatic beta cell insulin secretion. The amino acid modifications in analog insulins result in structural variations which alters the ability of highly specific commercial automated immunoassays to accurately quantitate these analog insulins. The variation in lab assay detection may cause confusion when interpreting the results. The DiaSorin Liaison XL platform in our hospital utilizes a chemiluminescence immunoassay which does not detect insulin analogs, but detects regular and NPH insulin as they are structurally identical to endogenous human insulin. The second laboratory uses the Siemens Advia Centaur platform, an immunoassay which reacts with insulin analogs "on a nearly equimolar basis with the analogs insulin aspart, insulin glargine, and insulin lispro. Insulin detemir exhibits approximately 50 percent cross-reactivity. Test reactivity with insulin glulisine is negligible (&amp;lt; 3 percent)". Many commercial insulin assays do not detect analog insulins and none qualitatively distinguish between different insulins. Failure to recognize this detection flaw may result in misdiagnosis, patient safety issues and costly unneeded additional studies Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

PSUN280 A Rare Genetic Disorder With Recurrent Hypoglycemic Episodes and Ketonemia Requiring Multidisciplinary Team Management During Pregnancy

Abstract Introduction Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS; OMIM 130650) is a multisystem human genomic imprinting disorder of chromosome 11p15.5. It is characterized by overgrowth and cancer susceptibility and is known to have a highly variable clinical spectrum. The main features include lateralized overgrowth and hypoglycemia due to prolonged hyperinsulinism. Most case reports on BWS are focused on the pediatric population with very scarce data in adults. Clinical case A 29-year-old, paralympic swimmer and genetically diagnosed female with BWS had recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia during her second pregnancy. She had a history of six previous first trimester miscarriages, anti-phospholipid syndrome, hypoglycaemic seizures, asthma, and migraines. Pre-pregnancy, she was investigated for a neurological cause of her seizures and an electroencephalogram and brain imaging were unremarkable. She underwent extensive investigations for evaluation of hypoglycemia and was diagnosed as having hyperinsulinemia secondary to pancreatic hypertrophy. Factitious hypoglycemia was also ruled out. Tumor localization studies were all negative. A supervised fast could not be conducted due to the inability of the patient to tolerate the test. Her first viable pregnancy was 2 years back, during which she required a prolonged hospital (including the intensive care unit) admission with multiple in-hospital complications and requiring enteral feeding. During her current pregnancy, she experienced recurrent episodes of severe disabling hypoglycemia resulting in seizures. She was commenced on diazoxide, however, despite that, she continued to have hypoglycemic episodes for which she had to self-inject Glucagon several times. She also had unexplained weight loss with ketonemia undeterred by a high-caloric diet. She refused to be on naso-jejunal feeding or enteral feeding. She self funded a flash glucose monitor which recorded her blood glucose levels between 2.0 to 3.4 mmol/L during the episodes of hypoglycemia. Dietitians were continually involved in her care to provide nutritional support and to optimize blood glucose control through dietary manipulation. Conclusion This was a very interesting and complicated case of a genetic disorder that presented multiple challenges during pregnancy. Management focused on psychological concerns, the severe catabolic state leading to rapid weight loss, recurrent hypoglycemic episodes, ketonemia, nutritional support, and fetal well-being monitoring. A multi-disciplinary team approach to management involved the obstetrics, endocrinology, dietetics, and gastroenterology teams. This resulted in a successful outcome for her pregnancy. Very limited data is available on health issues associated with BWS in adulthood and there is no data available on the obstetric management of women with BWS. Additionally, the unexplained weight loss and ketonemia associated with hypoglycemia make this case unique. Further studies are warranted and national guidelines are required to ensure that women with BWS achieve optimum pregnancy outcomes. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Pitfalls in Diagnosing Hypoglycemia Due to Exogenous Insulin: Validation and Utility of an Insulin Analog Assay

ObjectiveTo overcome the limitations of commercially available insulin immunoassays which have variable detection of analog insulin and can lead to clinically discordant results and misdiagnosis in the workup of factitious hypoglycemia. Patients and MethodsWe performed analytical validation of a liquid chromatography high resolution accurate mass (LC-HRAM) immunoassay to detect insulin analogs. We completed clinical assessment using a large cohort of human serum samples from 78 unique individuals, and subsequently used the assay in the evaluation of eight individuals with high diagnostic suspicion for factitious hypoglycemia. ResultsThe performance characteristics show that the LC-HRAM immunoassay can be applied to detect five commonly used synthetic insulin analogs (lispro, glulisine, aspart, glargine metabolite, and detemir) in human serum. Our clinical cases show that this assay could be used in the diagnosis of factitious hypoglycemia by identifying the analog insulin(s) in question. ConclusionThe LC-HRAM immunoassay reported here overcomes a gap in our diagnostic pathway for hypoglycemia. The results obtained from our studies suggest that this method is appropriate for use in clinical laboratories when factitious hypoglycemia is considered as a differential diagnosis.

Hypoglycémie factice à l’adolescence: un diagnostic à évoquer

Factitious hypoglycemia usually results from voluntary self-administration of insulin constituting a real metabolic emergency. Unresolved, it can lead to permanent brain damage and death. We report the case of a 17 years old female adolescent with factitious hypoglycemic episodes following inappropriate administration from an insulin pump. The interest of the case lies in its psycho-organic intricacies, constituting a real diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Prevalence and predictive factors of factitious hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Factitious Hypoglycemia and Insulin Edema due to Surreptitious Insulin Use in a Patient with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Insulin edema is an uncommon but well-known complication of insulin therapy, mostly appreciated in patients soon after commencement or intensification of insulin therapy. Objectives: To report a case insulin edema in Type 1 Diabetes due to surreptitious excess self-insulin use triggered by poverty driven psychosocial stressors. Case Presentation: A 14-year girl with T1DM since age 8 years, with chronic poor glycemic control (Insulin 48 units/day basal-bolus; HbA1c 12.5%, despite 100% free medical care, medicines, diagnostics and counselling), presented with multiple episodes of unexplained hypoglycemia with documented low blood sugar readings (30-60 mg/dl) and “apparently” grossly decreased recent insulin requirements (4 units/day) This was associated with rapid weight gain, swelling of her face, limbs and abdomen as well as shortness of breath. Work up for acute/sub-acute renal, hepatic, cardiac, pulmonary or infectious disorders was negative. Fluid and salt restriction, close clinical monitoring and compassionate counselling resulted in prompt amelioration of hypoglycemia, resolution of edema, weight gain and shortness of breath. In-depth clinical assessment suggested the diagnosis of surreptitious excess insulin use, triggered by psychosocial and economic stressors, leading to factitious hypoglycemia and consequent insulin edema causing fluid retention and dyspnea. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of insulin edema in a patient previously diagnosed with T1DM due to the surreptitious use of insulin by the patient resulting from psychosocial stressors, similar to those in other published encounters. Conclusion: Insulin edema resulted from transient surreptitious (nontherapeutic) excess self-insulin use, triggered by psychosocial stressors.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a clinical syndrome that has diverse causes and is characterized by episodes of low blood glucose and typically marked by autonomic and neuroglycopenic manifestations. This review discusses the classification, etiology, and diagnosis for hypoglycemia, including the Whipple triad, and the classic diagnostic test, the prolonged (72-hour) fast. Specific attention is given to the conditions that cause hypoglycemia, including insulinomas, factitious hypoglycemia, insulin autoimmune hypoglycemia, and post–gastric bypass hypoglycemia, as well as the diagnosis and management of these conditions. This review contains 2 figures, 6 figures, and 43 figures. Keywords: Blood glucose, hypoglycemia, neuroglycopenic manifestations, Whipple triad, 72-hour fast, insulinoma, post-gastric bypass, factitious hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a clinical syndrome that has diverse causes and is characterized by episodes of low blood glucose and typically marked by autonomic and neuroglycopenic manifestations. This review discusses the classification, etiology, and diagnosis for hypoglycemia, including the Whipple triad, and the classic diagnostic test, the prolonged (72-hour) fast. Specific attention is given to the conditions that cause hypoglycemia, including insulinomas, factitious hypoglycemia, insulin autoimmune hypoglycemia, and post–gastric bypass hypoglycemia, as well as the diagnosis and management of these conditions. This review contains 2 figures, 6 figures, and 43 figures. Keywords: Blood glucose, hypoglycemia, neuroglycopenic manifestations, Whipple triad, 72-hour fast, insulinoma, post-gastric bypass, factitious hypoglycemia

Clinical case of factitious hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemic syndrome (HGS) is a significant decrease glucose in blood, manifested by neurological symptoms, and stopped by the introduction of glucose. Among the many causes of HGS the special place is taken by the factitious hypoglycemia, as one of the variants of Munchausen syndrome. Hypoglycemia in such cases is achieved by the intentional introduction of hypoglycemic drugs. The most commonly used medications are sulfonylurea derivatives, which are affordable, inexpensive and legal. The close collaboration of clinicians with the laboratory service plays a key role in the diagnosis of factitious hypoglycemia. Since the results of biochemical and hormonal analyzes in patients with hypoglycemia due to reception of oral hypoglycemic medications and pancreatogenous HGS are identical, the only way to differentiate these conditions is by detection of insulin secretagogue substances in the blood (or urine).The determination of oral hypoglycemic medications in cases of suspicion of artificial reception is not implemented in Russia. Factitious hypoglycemia in most cases is the diagnosis of exclusion, and its confirmation if often based on detection of medications among the personal effects of patient. This is a significant difficulty given the ethical standards. However, since 2018 we conduct in our Centre the determination of 7 oral hypoglycemic medications (glibenclamide, gliquidone, gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide, nateglinide and repaglinide) in patient’s blood using the liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This article presents a clinical case of a patient without diabetes mellitus taking glibenclamide and detection of this drug using highly selective LC-MS.

A case report of type 1 diabetes mellitus and factitious hypoglycemia in a patient with Munchausen Syndrome

Munchausen syndrome is rarely considered as a first diagnosis, especially in a type 1 diabetic patient presenting with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. The diagnosis should be considered when episodes of hypoglycemia are persistent, and tests suggest a possible exogenous source of insulin. We report a case of a 26-year-old man with multiple hypoglycemic episodes and a long known diagnosis of diabetes type 1 who was referred to our institution after multiple in and out patient consultations in other institutions. He arrived with persistent hypoglycemia, even after withdrawal of insulin therapy on medical record, but persistent self-administration and misuse, without health care professional knowledge, of insulin therapy. He was diagnosed with factitious hypoglycemia after psychiatric evaluation. The patient improved with psychotherapy and family support as well as strict vigilance of insulin administration.