Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: A joint ‘late effects’ clinic for follow-up of survivors of childhood cancer has been in operation in our institution since 1995. In patients who have undergone cranial irradiation, dynamic anterior pituitary function testing using a standard insulin tolerance test (ITT) or, if contraindicated, a glucagon or arginine/GHRH test was undertaken at around five yearly intervals.Methods: Case note review was undertaken for 24 patients (...

A 38 year lady was referred with a five month history of secondary amenorrhea, galactorrhoea, failure to conceive and elevated prolactin levels of 2023 miu/L (reference 102–496 miu/L). She could not undertake an MRI scan of the pituitary gland as she was claustrophobic and hence a CT scan was performed which did not show and gross pituitary lesion. Microprolactinoma was diagnosed and she commenced bromocriptine. She had normal white blood cells and neutrophil count prior ...

The glycosyl components of serum gonadotrophins are important determinants of biological half life, receptor binding and bioactivity of these hormones. We have compared serum FSH glycosylation from healthy women with regular ovulatory cycles (group A; n=8) to those identified inpharmacological preparations gonadotrophins (group B merional and group C puregon). Blood samples were taken within 4 days of the onset of menstruation in the control group (group A). Pharmaceuti...

Introduction: Hyponatraemia presents a diagnostic challenge in acute medicine. Suggestive symptoms may be present or it can be an incidental finding. Whether it is acute or chronic, associated with excessive, normal or reduced intravascular volume all help determine cause and correct management.Case report: A six-year-old boy with a good neurological outcome from extreme hyponatraemia (initial sodium 96 mmol/l) caused by autoimmune hypoadrenalism. He pre...

Severe hypomagnesaemia associated with the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is now increasingly recognised. The exact underlying mechanism is unclear but is likely to involve altered intestinal absorption of magnesium ions. Hypomagnesaemia from any cause results in functional hypoparathyroidism. PTH levels vary widely in reported cases of hypomagnesaemia associated with the use of PPIs. We examined PTH levels in patients admitted to hospital with severe (Mg<0.4 mmol/l)...

Background: Patients with macroprolactinoma often present with pituitary hormone deficits associated with hyperprolactinaemia or mass effect. Restoration of normoprolactinaemia and tumour shrinkage by dopamine agonist is expected to reverse, at least partially, the pituitary dysfunction. Studies assessing prospectively the pituitary function in subjects with macroprolactinoma treated with cabergoline are lacking.Aim: To check the time course of recovery ...

Recent studies have demonstrated that rather than being a collection of heterogeneously dispersed cells, the pituitary gland is wired by multiple and specific endocrine cell networks to synchronise hormone release. Prolactin (PRL) is primarily important for lactation. In response to changing physiological demands during pregnancy and lactation the pituitary has the ability to expand and contract its cell number. We have investigated changes in lactotroph morphology and cell-to...

Aims: In 2005 we defined a specific reference range for TSH in our pregnant population. We have assessed whether this has resulted in changed management of treated hypothyroidism in pregnant.Methods: The management of 73 mothers (Group 1) between January 2000 and July 2005 was compared to that of 67 mothers (Group 2) between August 2005 and December 2009. The upper limit of normal for TSH was 4.5 mU/l till July 2005; the specific TSH range defined for pr...

Background: Environmental factors play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions. The incidence of type 1 diabetes is higher in winter. It is unclear whether autoimmune thyroid disease is similarly affected by seasonal variation. We aimed to study the variation in anti thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies in relation to calendar month of sampling.Methods: We obtained TPO-antibody results for the 12 months (October 2009 till September 2010). Indi...

We present the case of a 62 year old gentleman who was diagnosed with Acromegaly in 1998.He commenced testosterone replacement therapy in the form of Sustanon every three weeks in October 2000 following a testosterone level of 6.6 nmol/l.PSA levels during treatment with Sustanon were: 01/03/01–5.1μg/l.06/04/01–4.9 μg/l at which point he was referred for a urological opinion.<p class="a...