Management of secondary diabetes mellitus after total pancreatectomy in infancy

We report five children who required total pancreatectomy in the neonatal period for life threatening hypoglycaemia. Subsequent diabetes was managed with once daily subcutaneous insulin, oral pancreatic extract, and a controlled carbohydrate diet. Daily home blood glucose profiles in four of these children were different from those of 14 C-peptide negative children with type 1 insulin dependent diabetes-in the pancreatectomy group there was less variation in blood glucose throughout the day with a fall after breakfast as against a rise after breakfast in the type 1 group. Hyperglycaemia (greater than 10 mmol/l) with or without ketonaemia was extremely rare in the pancreatectomy group. Despite neonatal convulsions, physical growth and development have been normal. Hypoglycaemia, usually after food refusal, has been a major problem. In addition, there have been considerable emotional and family disturbances despite the excellent metabolic control, which presumably reflect the cumulative difficulties in managing such young children with diabetes.