Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Not much has been reported about Idiopathic Postprandial syndrome, especially in Africa. Many cases are often wrongly diagnosed as reactive hypoglycemia. Idiopathic postprandial syndrome refers to signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia in the absence of low blood sugar occurring after meals and is of unknown cause.

Clinical case: We report a case of Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome in a 44-year old woman living in Nigeria. We present a 44-year-old woman who had been having recurrent hypoglycemic symptoms, which included dizziness, body weakness, lightheadedness, restlessness, headaches, and fatigue after she eats a meal (Post-prandial) for a year. Blood glucose is normal during episodes, and extensive examinations and investigations yielded no other cause.

Discussion: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome (IPS) is a condition in which an individual experiences symptoms of hypoglycemia without having biochemical evidence. The major difference between idiopathic postprandial syndrome (IPS) and hypoglycemia is that IPS may present with only symptoms of low blood sugar without the other components of Whipple’s triad. These symptoms usually occur within a few hours of eating and the exact cause is not known. Managing the possible identified triggers, dietary modification and the use of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors have been seen to improve the condition. Much work still needs to be done to identify the exact etiology of the syndrome.

Keywords: Postprandial syndrome, hypoglycemia, idiopathic postprandial, adrenergic symptoms, Whipple’s triad