Abstract
Factitious hypoglycemia was suspected in an insulin-dependent 13-yr-old female diabetic, who experienced repeated episodes of “spontaneous” hypoglycemia. The patient confessed to surreptitious administration of insulin before she was admitted.
The level of insulin which was extracted from the patient's serum was markedly increased during the hypoglycemic periods, and decreased with cessation of insulin administration.
The fact that human C-peptide was not elevated in response to stimulation with intravenous glucose and tolbutamide indicated that the extracted insulin was not endogenous.
This is the first case of factitious hypoglycemia reported in Japan.
