Endocrine Abstracts

During each reproductive cycle, the ovary produces fertilizable ova in a cyclic manner. This involves growth and development of premature follicles as well as the maturation of oocytes to mature ova. The process culminates in the rupture of the follicular wall and the extrusion of the mature ovum into the periovarian space. After ovulation, a corpus luteum (CL) is formed from the remnants of an ovulated follicle. Follicular development, ovulation, formation and regression of C...

Mediastinal location of a functional parathyroid adenoma is a rare but a well recognised entity and Tc-99M sestamibi scan is an established imaging technique for the succesful localization of such tissues with a sensitivity and specificity of more than 90%. Here we report an unusual case of primary hyperparathyroidism presenting with a 3-cm mediastinal mass with no evidence of abnormal uptake of the isotope and subsequent resolution of the mass on further imaging.<p class...

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) in a cohort of obese subjects and to assess the validity of AN as an indicator of insulin resistanceMethods: 88 healthy obese subjects were assessed clinically for severity of AN scored according to Burke's Scale1. Neck and axilla severity scores (NASS) were discriminative, easy to access in a clinical setting and hence used in the analysis. Insulin resistance was assessed by Homeostasi...

Somatostatin (sst) acts via five G-protein-coupled receptors (sstr) that effect angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. We have reported the expression of these receptors in normal endometrium and in this study we have extended those observations to the expression of sstr subtypes 1, 2, 3, and 5 within hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrium using immunohistochemistry. METHOD The avidin-biotin-peroxidase method was used to immunostain formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ...

Background: Weight gain is underrecognised in patients with hypothalamic damage and the prevalence and mechanisms are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to define the diagnoses and endocrine characteristics associated with weight gain.Subjects and methods: A retrospective study of 48 patients (25 female) mean (SD) age 45.3yrs (9.8).They included 22 patients with primary hypothalamic lesions (craniopharyngiomas, Rathke's cysts and other tumours)[g...

OBJECTIVE Induction of anaesthesia and surgical stress, factors known to trigger catecholamine release from phaeochromocytomas, are believed to result in elevated levels in the postoperative period even in the absence of such tumours, and biochemical screening is usually deferred for two or more weeks following surgery. The aim of this study was to determine patterns of peri-operative urinary catecholamine excretion in otherwise healthy subjects undergoing a single type of maj...

BACKGROUND: There are wide ethnic differences in women's attitude to the menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We have surveyed the awareness and attitudes of Libyan women to the menopause and HRT. METHODS: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire on the knowledge and attitudes towards menopause and HRT was used. 353 women were studied (median age 31(20-60) years; 188 married, 157 single and 8 divorced/widowed). Majority had secondary (38%) or university (51%) e...

Radioiodine(RI) is an effective treament for thyrotoxicosis, being used with increasing frequency. Since 1998 an initial dose of 400 MBq has been used in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis, with a standard second dose of 550 and third dose of 799 MBq. The efficacy of this dosing regimen in controlling hyperthyroidism was studied by a questionnaire survey of the GPs of 259 patients treated between November 1998 and January 1999. RI was deemed a success if patients were rendered eu...

Background & Aims: An increased prevalence of obesity among patients with prolactinoma (PR) and weight loss after treatment (specially in male patients) has been reported1,2. On the other hand, weight gain after treatment has been observed in another study3. In this study we looked at the evolution of body weight in 37 patients with PR, 22 macroprolactinomas (MAPR) and 15 microprolactinomas (MIPR).Methods: We conducted a retrospective s...

Eight healthy pregnant goats, aged 2-4 years, were selected for this study. Blood samples were obtained in tubes containing EDTA at different stages of pregnancy, at parturition and on days 1, 7 and 14 postpartum. Blood from foeti was also collected on days 1 and 7 after their birth. Plasma was separated, frozen at -20 celsius till analysed for thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) using ELISA comercial kits. Thyroxine (T4) concentration was higher during prepartum, decreased significa...