Endocrine Abstracts

The neuroprotective and promyelinating actions of progesterone, now well documented by experimental studies, make it a particularly promising therapeutic agent for neuroinjury. This concept has recently been translated into clinical practice. Progesterone can also be locally produced in the nervous system by neurons and glial cells. Importantly, increased progesterone synthesis after brain injury may be part of endogenous neuroprotective responses. However, the mechanisms by w...

We present a 65-year-old lady initially diagnosed and treated for epilepsy who was subsequently referred 10 years later for the investigation of underlying spontaneous hypoglycaemia. Laboratory plasma glucose concentrations of 2.0 and 1.7 mmol/l were recorded prior to referral and subsequently a fasting challenge provoked hypoglycaemia associated with a plasma glucose of 0.8 mmol/l, C-peptide 371 pmol/l (NR 120–600) and insulin 7.4 mU/l (NR 0–10). CT and MRI imaging ...

A 45-year-old lady presented with two years history of galactorrhea and tiredness. The galactorrhea had been getting progressively worse. Initially it was on squeezing the breast but later on it came on spontaneously. She had to change her bra more than twice a day. She was also feeling unduly tired. She got occasional headaches but no visual disturbances. The period was regular and she was on no regular medications. She is married and has three children, the youngest is four ...

Bisphosphonates are the mainstay of treatment for metabolic bone diseases such as post-menopausal osteoporosis and Paget’s disease. Enormous progress has been made over the last few years in understanding how these drugs act at the molecular level. After targeting bone and selective internalisation by osteoclasts, simple bisphosphonates are incorporated into cytotoxic, non-hydrolysable analogues of ATP. By contrast, the more potent nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates inhi...

Objective: A reliable form of androgen substitution therapy in terms of favorable kinetics and tolerance as well as effective restoration of androgenicity is paramount in hypogonadal men. A new feasible modality is the intramuscular injection of the long-acting ester testosterone undecanoate (TU).Design: Analysis of safety data accumulated during 101 treatment-years in 66 hypogonadal men receiving altogether 510 injections of 1000 mg TU in 10–14-we...

A 30 year old woman presented at 15 weeks gestation with resistant hypertension (that had been diagnosed prior to pregnancy) and hypokalaemia (2.8 mmol/l). Subsequent tests, whilst on Nifedipine, showed a markedly raised aldosterone/renin ratio of 267 (n<25) [Aldosterone 720 ng/L;Renin 3 mu/L] (Aldosterone reference range: Supine:20–190 ng/L, Ambulant 30–340 ng/L; Renin reference range: Supine 2–30 mu/L, Ambulant 3–40 mu/L).<p class="a...

Introduction: Obesity, a chronic disease, is recognised as a major public health problem. In 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended semaglutide, a weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, as a pharmacological option for weight management. This case series aims to evaluate the real-world effectiveness and safety profile of semaglutide therapy for weight loss.Methods: Retrospe...

Background: Men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have significantly lower levels of testosterone (T) than nondiabetic controls. But androgen deficit symptoms may be detected in males with normal T levels.Aim: To analyze parameters of lipid, carbohydrate metabolism and endothelial function in diabetic males with low normal and middle-to-high normative T levels.Patients and methods: We examined 86 men with T2DM and serum T levels...

A 73-year-old independent female presented with reduced consciousness following a tonic-clonic seizure. Investigations revealed acute hyponatraemia, with a serum sodium of 103 mmol/l. Cortisol reserve and thyroid function was normal and the biochemical diagnosis was consistent with SiADH. A CT brain scan was normal. Hypertonic saline was commenced with empirical anti-viral and antibiotic therapy. Lumbar puncture revealed a slightly elevated CSF protein and her EEG showed non-s...

Hypercalcemia in hyperthyroidism is usually asymptomatic, and related to a concurrent primary hyperparathyroidism. In this report, we describe a case of symptomatic hypercalcemia secondary to Graves’ disease alone.Case report: A 24-year-old Filipino female presented to the emergency department with generalized weakness, vomiting and abdominal pain. No other symptoms were noted. She was otherwise previously healthy. Family history was unremarkable. D...