Endocrine Abstracts

Steroid hormones play an important role in the skeleton and may be involved in the pathogenesis and management of osteoporosis. The decline in estrogen levels at the menopause is associated with increased bone resorption and accelerated bone loss. Although there is no comparable reduction in serum testosterone in middle-aged men, the gradual decline in free testosterone may contribute to bone loss with age. Hypogonadism is a well-established cause of secondary osteoporosis in ...

Objective: The rule of GH and IGF1 in the pathogenic of CFS is unclear. One study (related articles number 2) found no difference in IFG1 levels between controls and patients. However in fibromyalgia there are reports of subgroups of patients with a low IGF1 and normal to high GH. This phenomenon is also known with anorexia nervosa patients due to the malnutrition.Method: We selected a group of ambulatory CFS patients fulfilling the Fukuda criteria with ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of hirsutism & menstrual irregularity in adolescent girls. It is often accompanied by obesity and insulin resistance and associated to lifelong co-morbidities including reduced fertility, type 2 diabetes, premenopausal cancer, depression, and pregnancy and offspring complications. There is no approved therapy for PCOS in adolescent girls. Oral contraceptives (OCs) are prescribed off-label to approximately 98% of young PCOS...

Parathyroid hormone-dependent hypercalcaemia is one of the commonest conditions seen in endocrinology clinics. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is the usual cause although some cases are due to other conditions including familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH). Making the distinction between PHPT and FHH is important in order to avoid unnecessary parathyroid surgery. Urinary calcium quantification is an integral part of diagnostic investigations. We present the case of a...

: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine condition but is relatively rare in very young people and during pregnancy. The diagnosis in pregnancy poses a unique challenge and is often missed as the symptoms of hypercalcemia mimic those in pregnancy. We present the case of a 20-year old woman who was found to have severe hypercalcemia after she had persistent vomiting in early pregnancy. Biochemistry revealed adjusted calcium of 5.34 mmol/L, parathormone of 103....

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine condition. Outside of syndromic presentations, it is relatively rare in young people and during pregnancy. The diagnosis in pregnancy poses a unique challenge and is often missed as the symptoms of hypercalcemia mimic those in pregnancy. We present a case of a 20-year old woman who was found to have severe hypercalcemia after she had persistent vomiting in early pregnancy. Biochemistry showed adjusted calcium of 5.34 mmo...

A 1 month old baby boy presented at a local district general hospital with failure to thrive. He was born to non-consanguineous Eastern European parents, with an 18 month old healthy sister. The term birth was unremarkable, with nil of note from the antenatal history. Initial clinical examination revealed a slightly low but stable blood pressure for age, but was otherwise normal.Investigations: Biochemistry results showed low plasma sodium (125 mmol/l) a...

The onset of puberty is changing in western countries. Puberty is the activation of the reproductive system, and is initiated by a complex series of events that are not fully understood. BMI has been linked to the advancement of puberty, but is unlikely to be the whole story as girls with a normal BMI are also advancing through puberty earlier. It is well known that western diets are high in calories, but the high salt content in these diets has been overlooked as a potential ...

Graves’ disease is a common autoimmune condition, and the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. A number of definitive treatment options for this disease exist, including radioiodine (RI) and surgery. Surgery is often reserved for patients for whom RI is contraindicated or who have previously failed other treatments, including radioactive iodine ablation (RIA). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of total thyroidectomy at our institution as a pref...

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a rare endocrine emergency where early diagnosis of both hypokalaemia and thyrotoxicosis are vital to allow prompt treatment to prevent life-threatening complications and prevent recurrences. We present the first reported case of TPP in which four known stimulants of Na–K–ATPase acted simultaneously to produce profound hypokalaemia. A 32 year-old competitive body-builder took thyroxine supplements & a long-acting β2 ago...