Neonatal pancreatic beta-cell hyperplasia: report of a case with failure of diazoxide and benefit of early subtotal pancreatectomy.

A newborn infant with pancreatic beta-cell hyperplasia had persistent hypoglycemia due to hyperinsulinism. After medical management, including the use of diazoxide and constant glucose infusions had proved ineffective, a subtotal pancreatectomy was curative. Cumulative experience seems to indicate that there should be little delay in performing a subtotal pancreatectomy when aggressive medical management cannot maintain normoglycemia in a neonate.