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Necrolytic migratory erythema is a rare paraneoplastic dermatosis that may be the first clinical manifestation of the glucagonoma syndrome, a disorder characterized by mucocutaneous rash, glucose intolerance, hypoaminoacidemia, hyperglucagonaemia and pancreatic glucagonoma. The clinical case of a 45-year-old woman is presented. She had been experiencing weight loss, polydipsia, polyphagia, postprandial emesis, excessive hair loss and abdominal pain for two months. Erythematous, scaly and migratory plaques with 20 days of evolution were found on her trunk, perineum, elbows, hands, feet, inframammary and antecubital folds. The skin biopsy revealed noticeable vacuolar changes in high epidermal cells, extensive necrosis and thin orthokeratotic cornified layer. These findings pointed to a diagnosis of necrolytic migratory erythema. A suggestion was made to investigate a pancreatic glucagonoma. Laboratory tests showed moderate anemia, hyperglycemia and marked hyperglucagonaemia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a mass in the tail of the pancreas measuring 6 x 5 x 5 cm which was resected. The histopathological findings were compatible with a diagnosis of glucagonoma, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Skin symptoms disappeared 10 days after the tumor resection. We can conclude that the histological changes defined may be clues that can lead the search for a distant skin disease and allow for its diagnosis. The histological pattern of vacuolation and epidermal necrosis should arouse suspicion of pancreatic glucagonoma.

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INTRODUCTION: glucagonoma is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor derived from alpha-cells of the islets of Langerhans. It is marked by tumoral autonomous production of glucagon and characterized, among other symptoms, by necrolytic migratory erythema, an erythematous circinate lesion with areas of necrosis and sloughing. This is a rare disease with worldwide incidence estimated at 1 case per 20 million people. CASE REPORT: we report a case of glucagonoma associated necrolytic migratory erythema in a male patient, 56 years, with signs of skin lesions mainly on his legs and groin, hyperglycemia and weight loss. Biopsies of the skin lesions were performed and imaging of the abdomen showed a mass of 10 x 9 cm, at the pancreatic region. The patient was subjected to body-caudal pancreatectomy and splenectomy with autotransplant of the spleen in the greater omentum. The histopathologic report indicated a tumor in the pancreatic alpha cells. Immunohistochemistry showed expression of glucagon and chromogranin A in most tumor cells, consistent with the diagnosis of glucagonoma. The patient presented 3 years of outpatient follow-up with no complications. CONCLUSION: the necrolytic migratory erythema is important for the clinical recognition of glucagonoma, and its early diagnosis is essential for a successful curative therapy.

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Summary Introduction: glucagonoma is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor derived from alpha-cells of the islets of Langerhans. It is marked by tumoral autonomous production of glucagon and characterized, among other symptoms, by necrolytic migratory erythema, an erythematous circinate lesion with areas of necrosis and sloughing. This is a rare disease with worldwide incidence estimated at 1 case per 20 million people. Case report: we report a case of glucagonoma associated necrolytic migratory erythema in a male patient, 56 years, with signs of skin lesions mainly on his legs and groin, hyperglycemia and weight loss. Biopsies of the skin lesions were performed and imaging of the abdomen showed a mass of 10 x 9 cm, at the pancreatic region. The patient was subjected to body-caudal pancreatectomy and splenectomy with autotransplant of the spleen in the greater omentum. The histopathologic report indicated a tumor in the pancreatic alpha cells. Immunohistochemistry showed expression of glucagon and chromogranin A in most tumor cells, consistent with the diagnosis of glucagonoma. The patient presented 3 years of outpatient follow-up with no complications. Conclusion: the necrolytic migratory erythema is important for the clinical recognition of glucagonoma, and its early diagnosis is essential for a successful curative therapy. .

Resumo Introdução: Introdução: o glucagonoma é um tumor neuroendócrino do pâncreas derivado das células alfa das ilhotas de Langerhans. É marcado pela produção tumoral autônoma de glucagon e caracterizado, dentre outros sintomas, por eritema necrolítico migratório (ENM), uma lesão eritematosa circinada com áreas de necrose e descamação. Trata-se de uma doença rara com incidência mundial estimada em 1 caso para cada 20 milhões pessoas. Relato de caso: apresentamos um caso de glucagonoma associado a ENM em um paciente de sexo masculino, 56 anos de idade, com quadro de lesões cutâneas, principalmente em membros inferiores e região inguinal, hiperglicemia e perda ponderal. Biópsias das lesões cutâneas foram realizadas e exames de imagem do abdome evidenciaram uma massa de 10 x 9 cm em região pancreática. O paciente foi submetido à pancreatectomia corpocaudal e esplenectomia total com autoimplante do baço em omento maior. O laudo histopatológico foi de tumor de células alfa pancreáticas. Imuno-histoquímica evidenciou expressão de glucagon e cromogranina A na maioria das células tumorais, compatível com diagnóstico de glucagonoma. O paciente apresentou seguimento de 3 anos em ambulatório sem intercorrências clínicas. Conclusão: o ENM é importante para o reconhecimento clínico do glucagonoma, sendo seu diagnóstico precoce fundamental para uma terapia curativa de sucesso. .

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