Pancreas: glucagonoma: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Pancreas: glucagonoma

Sample item

A 58-year-old woman has weight loss, new diabetes, anaemia and a migratory erythematous rash with blistering around the groin and perineum. CT shows a 4 cm tumour in the pancreatic tail. Which hormone is raised?

ASomatostatinBInsulinCGlucagonDVasoactive intestinal peptide

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Glucagon

Glucagonoma presents with necrolytic migratory erythema, diabetes, weight loss, anaemia, stomatitis and venous thrombosis. The tumours are usually large and located in the body or tail, and many are malignant at diagnosis. Treatment is resection, with zinc and amino acid replacement and somatostatin analogues for symptom control.

Option by option

A. Somatostatin
Somatostatinoma causes diabetes, steatorrhoea and gallstones, without the typical rash.
B. Insulin
Insulin excess causes hypoglycaemia, the opposite of diabetes.
C. Glucagon (correct)
Correct. Necrolytic migratory erythema with diabetes characterises a glucagon-secreting tumour.
D. Vasoactive intestinal peptide
A VIPoma causes profuse watery diarrhoea, hypokalaemia and achlorhydria (WDHA).

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Glucagon. Glucagonoma presents with necrolytic migratory erythema, diabetes, weight loss, anaemia, stomatitis and venous thrombosis.

Why is "Somatostatin" not the answer?

Somatostatinoma causes diabetes, steatorrhoea and gallstones, without the typical rash.

Why is "Insulin" not the answer?

Insulin excess causes hypoglycaemia, the opposite of diabetes.

Why is "Vasoactive intestinal peptide" not the answer?

A VIPoma causes profuse watery diarrhoea, hypokalaemia and achlorhydria (WDHA).

What concept does this question test?

It tests Pancreas: glucagonoma in General Surgery. The tumours are usually large and located in the body or tail, and many are malignant at diagnosis. Treatment is resection, with zinc and amino acid replacement and somatostatin analogues for symptom control.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Pancreas: glucagonoma?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.