[Cancer of the alpha cells of the pancreas].

Endocrine tumors of the pancreas are rare. One of them is the so called alpha cell carcinoma also called glucagonoma usually associated with diabetes and skin lesions somewhat typical. A case of a male patient fifty-three years of age with clinical diabetes mellitus and generalized dermatitis is presented. The pancreatic scan showed some enlargement of the head of the pancreas as well as the body which was confirmed by ultrasound. Angiography showed that this change was due to pancreatic tumor with intrahepatic metastasis. The patient was taken to surgery where a glucagonoma of the pancreas was found. This case is reported because only 32 other cases have been reported in the literature.