Endocrine Abstracts

Case history: A 60-year-old male underwent left sided orchidectomy for a Seminoma in November 2005. As a part of work up for the Seminoma, he was noted to have bilateral adrenal masses which raised the possibility of metastasis.Investigations: CT scan of the abdomen showed 22 mm mass on the right with a Hounsfield units of −31 and a 12 mm mass on the left with Hounsfield units of −1. The radiological phenotype of these masses along with densi...

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PPTH) is a common referral to endocrine clinics with a clinical spectrum ranging from an asymptomatic state to a symptomatic disorder with or without end organ damage. We audited our management against the NIH guidelines which are endorsed by the Endocrine Society.Methods: There is no outpatient coding system to correctly identify all patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. We included patient on radiology da...

Aim: To investigate the ralationship between semen parameters and serum follicale-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL) in a group of Chinese men with congenital absence of vas deferens (CAVD).Methods: Ninety patients with CAVD were investigated. During the physical examination the body hair distribution, testicular size, epididymides and vas deferens were carefully inspected and palpated. Semen analysis i...

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is regarded as a precursor to the development of carcinoid tumorlets. It is confined to the neuroendocrine cell of the airway mucosa without penetration through the basement membrane and appears in a diffuse pattern, typically in association with obliterative bronchiolar fibrosis. DIPNECH belongs to the preinvasive lesions defined by the 1999 World Health Organization classification, along with atypical ade...

Introduction: Despite being on adequate amounts of levothyroxine (>1.6 μg/kg) some patients still exhibit biochemical evidence of inadequate replacement (serum TSH >4.2 mIU/l±free-thyroxine (FT4) <12 pmol/l). We report the use of a 5-day absorption test for assessing levothyroxine absorption in such a patient.Case: A 35-year-old female with hypothyroidism since 2007 had a serum TSH ranging from 4.48 to 54.9 mIU/l and FT<s...

Introduction: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is usually not described as a common cause of hypercalcemia unless there is hepatoma. Of late, there are some reports suggesting CLD as a cause for hypercalcemia. The exact mechanism contributing to hypercalcemia in CLD is poorly understood. It usually correlates with the severity of disease.Aim of the study: To assess the prevalence of hypercalcemia in patients with chronic liver disease To study the relation of...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by occurrence of parathyroid tumours and neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the pancreas and pituitary, which is caused by mutations of the MEN1 gene, encoding menin. Mouse models are important in elucidating mechanisms of MEN1 tumourigenesis and treatments, but the current models have limitations. Thus, in conventional heterozygous MEN1 knockout models, tumour d...

Aims: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular complications. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a novel anti-angiogenic adipokine highly expressed in obese, insulin-resistant subjects. We sought to assess TSP-1 levels in adipose (AT) from PCOS women and matched controls. The effects of metformin treatment on circulating TSP-1 levels in PCOS subjects; effects of serum from normal and PCOS women on in vitro migration and...

Orexin-A and orexin-B orchestrate their diverse central and peripheral effects via two G-protein coupled receptors, OX1R and OX2R, which activate multiple G-proteins. They are involved in a host of physiological processes including, steroidogenesis, appetite control and energy regulation. Whilst some signalling mechanisms have been proposed for individual recombinant orexin receptors in generic mammalian cell types, it is clear that the peripheral effects of orexin are spatial...

Background: One of the main indications for parathyroidectomy surgery in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is osteoporosis. NICE guideline recommends 2-3 yearly Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) assessments to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in asymptomatic PHPT. Objective: We undertook an audit to evaluate bone health practice in PHPT patients in line with NICE guidelines.Methodology: Retrospective case notes and electr...