Pathology · Endocrine System · Hard
Insulinoma
Meaning: Tumour of the pancreatic islet cells that secretes too much of the hormone that lowers blood sugar.
In practice: Recurrent fasting hypoglycaemia with confusion was eventually traced to a small insulinoma in the pancreas.
Word parts
- -oma means a lump, mass or tumour
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related pathology words.
Which word means: Highly contagious infectious agent that causes outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea, often called the winter vomiting bug.
Answer: Norovirus
Which word means: Immune protein produced by the body that mistakenly targets its own proteins or tissues.
Answer: Autoantibody
Words like insulinoma come up in the daily game
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.