BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery has shown to be the most effective method in diabetes mellitus (DM) type II resolution, reaching up to 80% of cure. However, some studies have shown the development of a hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia state in certain morbidly obese patients after bariatric surgery, so called nesidioblastosis corresponding to pathological disseminated proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells. The purpose of this study is to review bibliographical data on nesidioblastosis after bariatric surgery, researching scientific articles published since 2000 over the subject. METHODS: A literature review was made over scientific articles published since 2000. Researching data based on PubMed (www.pubmed.gov), crossing the following headings: nesidioblastosis, hyperinsulinism, hypoglycemia and bariatric surgery complications. LITERATURE REVIEW: Fourteen publications related to the subject were reviewed. Among them, Cummings defends alterations in the functional activity of the intestinal tract after bariatric surgery promoting stimulation and excessive growth of pancreatic beta-cells and greater activity of pancreatic hormones, suggesting a possible cause for nesidioblastosis. Corroborating in order to elucidate the cause for this disease, authors suggest that the rapid intestinal transit after gastric bypass surgery elevates the serum level of glucagon-like peptide 1, thereby stimulating hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in these patients. Similarly, other authors defend the idea that the weight lost after bariatric surgery decrease intensively insulin-resistance due to hypertrophy and hyperfunctional state of pancreatic beta-cells, which is very common in obesity, promoting the development of nesidioblastosis. CONCLUSION: Nesidioblastosis after bariatric surgery may represent the pathological extreme of a beneficial phenomenon for the great majority of morbidly obese patients presenting with diabetes mellitus type II, however, in some rare situations, this benefic phenomenon brings bad outcome, in other words, nesidioblastosis, which then must be corrected by partial pancreatectomy, due to life threatening pattern of the disease.
Nesidioblastosis; Hyperinsulinism; Hypoglycemia; Bariatric surgery; complications