Endocrine Abstracts

Tocilizumab is an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is known to induce remission and inhibit radiographic progression in RA. Tocilizumab may be administered either intravenously or subcutaneously. Its effect on lipid levels and the cardiovascular risk has not been fully investigated. The aim was to study the effect of tocilizumab i.v. on disease activity, lipid levels and cardiovascular risk in RA patients.<p class="ab...

Introduction: Non-thyroidal illness syndrome or low T3 syndrome is an alteration of thyroid hormone levels which occurs as a reaction to acute disease. It is characterized by low TSH levels and low T3 and T4 levels. It is transient. The severity of its expression may be related to the severity of the acute disease. It affects patients hospitalized for acute disease in the department of medicine or surgery and in the acute care unit.<p class...

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism is nowadays frequently diagnosed due to routine blood calcium measured in the general biochemical profile. Primary hyperparathyroidism may be due to a parathyroid adenoma or parathyroid hyperplasia. Parathyroid adenoma may occur in the area of the parathyroid glands or may be ectopic.Aim: The aim was to describe the differential clinical expression of primary hyperparathyroidism due to an adenoma or hyperplasia i...

Introduction: Subclinical hyperthyroidism is a syndrome with vague clinical symptoms. It may cause tachycardia, loss of weight or no symptoms at all. Subclinical hyperthyroidism may occur in middle age and in the elderly. It may be related to the occurrence of atrial fibrillation. Subclinical hyperthyroidism may be the result of an autonomous goiter, may occur in the course of follow-up of hypothyroidism, as the needs for treatment may vary over time and substantially diminish...

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the development of osteomalacia, as it decreases intestinal calcium absorption and bone mineralization. However, severe vitamin D deficiency may also be correlated with secondary hyperparathyroidism which induces osteoporosis. In addition, it induces muscular dysfunction which along with frailty in old age it may induce falls.Aim: The aim was to present a group of patients with severe vitamin D defici...

Introduction: Vitamin D has been found to be associated with multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. Low vitamin D levels have also been observed in patients with obesity.Aim: The aim was to study vitamin D levels in patients with morbid obesity.Methods: In a group of 32 patients with morbid obesity, BMI 41.77±1.15 (m...

Introduction: The management of schizophrenia involves drugs which inhibit domapine receptors. The drugs control the disease. However, they increase prolactin secretion and induce amenorrhea. The drugs induce the development of metabolic syndrome and as a result of obesity they may cause benign intracranial hypertension.Aim: The aim was to describe the case of a patient who developed schizophrenia and after therapy with antipsychotics benign intracranial...

Introduction: Graves’ disease is a multi-system autoimmune disease characterized by hyperthyroidism, ophthalmopathy and pretibial myxedema. The disease presents with hyperthyroidism or more rarely with ophthalmopathy. It runs a various course and many times during its natural course permanent hypothyroidism may ensue.Aim: The aim was to describe the case of a patient with Graves’ disease presenting with ophthalmopathy and subclinical hypothyroi...

Primary hyperaldosteronism may be due to an adrenal adenoma and is an increasingly recognized cause of secondary arterial hypertension. The disease causes hypokalemia and is usually treated surgically by excision of the adrenal adenoma. However, it appears that it may present with a clinical profile without arterial hypertension. The aim was to describe three cases of primary hyperaldosteronism who presented with hypokalemia and an adrenal adenoma with normal blood pressure. A...

Lithium is considered a mainstay treatment option for the management of bipolar affective disorder. However, lithium administration is characterized by endocrine effects. The aim was to present the case of a patient who was on treatment with lithium for many years for the management of bipolar affective disorder and presented with a large parathyroid adenoma causing clinical hyperparathyroidism with severe hypercalcemia who was successfully treated by surgical excision of the ...