Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Treatment of hypothyroidism with levothyroxine is effective and simple; however, international guidelines advise starting with low doses in case of severe hypothyroidism, cardiac illness and aged population. Interestingly, and in contradiction to this dogma, high doses of levothyroxine have been given to patients with myxedema coma without untoward effects. The difference between myxedema coma, which deserves an intensive treatment, and longstanding severe hypoth...

Introduction: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has an excellent prognosis in most cases with a 10-year survival rate of more than 95% but decreases drastically in cases of PTC iodine-refractory, in recurrent and/or metastatic disease. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as lenvatinib or sorafenib, have been approved in such cases and in some cases are able to stabilize the disease and prolong survival. However, serious side effects have been reported such as fistula formation, blee...

Introduction: Myxedema coma is a rare life-threatening clinical condition in patients with longstanding severe untreated hypothyroidism, in whom adaptive mechanisms fail to maintain homeostasis. Most patients, however, are not comatose, and, although strict criteria have been proposed, it is often difficult to differentiate it from very severe hypothyroidism, lacking only a precipitating event.Material and methods: We present the clinical picture of 70 c...

Introduction: Abnormalities of lipid metabolism and arterial hypertension occur with increased frequency in hypothyroidism and are associated with a higher risk of premature atherosclerotic vascular disease. Therefore, a vigorous lipid lowering treatment seems mandatory, including quickly restoration of thyroid function, to reduce vascular risk. We evaluate benefits on lipid profile after intravenous thyroxine treatment in severe hypothyroid patients at three and thirty days.<...

Introduction: Many studies have shown that cigarette smoking exerts multiple effects on the thyroid gland. Smoking seems to induce changes in thyroid function tests, like a left-shift in serum TSH level that is more apparent in iodine-deficient subjects and increase in thyroid hormones. We describe the effect of an intensive thyroxine intravenous treatment in severe hypothyroid patients and the results depending on their smoking status.Material and metho...

Introduction: Nivolumab is an anti-programmed cell death-1 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. Several endocrine disorders have been reported as immune-related adverse effects. However, nivolumab-induced hypophysitis has a lower incidence than ipililumab.Case report: A 69-years old man with metastatic melanoma started to receive nivolumab. Ten weeks after the first cycle of nivolumab he presented hyperthyroidi...

Introduction: Bilateral sampling of the inferior petrosal sinuses is an accurate test to diagnose Cushing’s disease and distinguish it with the ectopic ACTH syndrome. The aim of the study was to review the petrosal sinus samplings carried out during last 10 years in our hospital.Methods and material: The medical histories of patients admitted for suspected Cushing’s disease in the last 10 years (from 2005 till 2015) were reviewed. There were se...