AIM: Doege-Potter syndrome is a rare condition consisting of a mesenchymal 
tumor, either benign or malignant, accompanied by severe hypoglycemia. The 
syndrome was first described independently by two American physicians, Karl 
Walter Doege (1867-1932) and Roy Pilling Potter (1879-1968), in 1930, but it was 
not before 1988 that it was associated with non-islet cell tumor production of 
insulin growth factor (IGF) that induces hypoglycemia as a paraneoplastic 
syndrome.
CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 61-year-old woman with severe 
hypoglycemia that induced seizures. On the general check-up, a massive tumor 
occupying the lower part of left hemi-thorax was discovered. Initially, 
corticosteroids, glucose i.v. and high carbohydrate diet managed to prevent the 
severe blood glucose drop. Surgery exposed a massive well-defined pleural tumor. 
After surgical removal, blood glucose stabilized. Histological examination 
confirmed the fibrous tumor that proved to be malignant on immunochemistry.
DISCUSSION: The authors discuss other cases reported in the literature of this 
rare condition and its pathogenic mechanisms, the presented case being the first 
reported in Romania.
CONCLUSIONS: The clinician should be aware of the possible existence of a 
pleural tumor in a patient presenting an unexplained hypoglycemia because the 
surgical removal of the tumor can solve the clinical manifestations.