Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Dopamine agonists (DA) have excellent result in controlling both hyperprolactinemia and tumor volume in macroprolactinomas. However, even after long term DA treatment, withdrawal of dopamine agonists results in recurrence of hyperprolactinemia in a significant proportion of patients.Aim: To assess recurrence rate of hyperprolactinemia after DA withdrawal in a large series of patients treated in a tertiar...

Background: Dopamine agonists (DA) have excellent result in controlling both hyperprolactinemia and tumor volume in macroprolactinomas. However, even after long term DA treatment, withdrawal of dopamine agonists results in recurrence of hyperprolactinemia in a significant proportion of patients.Aim: To assess recurrence rate of hyperprolactinemia after DA withdrawal in a large series of patients treated in a tertiar...

Introduction: Excess GH in acromegaly has lipolytic action and detrimental effect on glucose metabolism and insulin signaling. Recent studies have suggested a specific lipodystrophy in patients with acromegaly. Paradoxically, although the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and intrahepatic lipid were reduced in active acromegaly compared to controls, insulin resistance was increased. Fat was redistributed from subcutaneous and visceral depots to muscle; weight and VAT depots rose w...

Introduction: Bilateral pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) most often occur as components of hereditary syndromes: MEN2A, VHL disease or neurofibromatosis. The best surgical technique in such cases is yet disputed between cortical sparing or total adrenalectomy. Two important complications are related to each surgical technique: adrenal insufficiency (AI) or recurrence-which one is more harmful for the patient?Aim: To evaluate the complications (recurrence, AI) r...

Introduction: Pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) are tumors arising from medulla chromaffin cells. Their diagnosis is challenging due to a large clinical spectrum – from classical crisis to completely asymptomatic. Approximately 5.0–6.5% of adrenal incidentalomas are pheochromocytomas, and 8% of pheochromocytomas are completely asymptomatic, usually in a familial form.Aim: To compare biochemical and imagistic features of symptomatic/asymptomatic PHEOs.<...

Background: Screening for primary aldosteronism (PA) needs aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) measurement, followed by confirmative tests.Aim: To assess the clinical value of captopril challenge test (CCT) in PA diagnosis.Methods: Thirty patients were screened for secondary endocrine hypertension; study group consisted in 15 PA patients (7M/8F, aged 44.6±13.3 years). Control group consisted in 15 patients (5M/10F) with negative ...

Acromegaly control/remission is defined by stringent criteria: normal age-/sex-adjusted IGF1 and random GH (GHr) <1 ng/ml or a GH nadir (GHn) during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) of <0.4 ng/ml. However discordances between GH and IGF1 have been recorded in about 30% of patients. We retrospectively analyzed the evolution in patients with acromegaly and discordant GH–IGF1 levels while being treated with somatostatin analogs (SSA) and/or cabergoline (CAB).<p...

Introduction: We evaluated the prevalence of metabolic and cardiovascular complications in a Romanian population with adrenal incidentalomas in comparison with an age-matched control group, evaluated in our clinic.Patients and methods: After excluding patients with overt functioning adrenal tumors, subclinical pheochromocytomas, malignant tumors, myelolipomas, data were retrieved from the files of 190 patients with adrenal incidentalomas ≥1 cm and ...

Background: Suitable postoperative radiotherapy (RT) of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMAs) is still controversial, subjected to rapid technical and medical progress.Patients and methods.: We studied 87 patients with NFMA to identify factors affecting tumor control such as the time of RT and tumor pathology. Partial pituitary surgery was performed either by transfrontal (30 patients) or transsphenoidal (57 patients) approach. An immunoperoxida...

Introduction: Pegvisomant (PEG) is an efficient treatment for acromegaly but the recommendation for this treatment is less active due to its high cost. In Romania it is reimbursed in doses up to 30 mg s.c/day or as 40 or 80 mg/week in combination with a somatostatin analog (SSA).Design: Retrospective analysis of 18 consecutive patients treated with PEG for acromegaly (either as monotherapy, or in combination with SSA and/or cabergoline (CAB...