Endocrine Abstracts

The ideal treatment of hyperthyroidism due to Graves’ disease (GD), an autoimmune disorder ultimately caused by TSH-receptor antibody, would consist of the elimination of disease triggers. Because this is not feasible, current management relies on either thyroid ablation (thyroidectomy and/or radioiodine) inevitably bound to subsequent hypothyroidism, or a conservative approach using antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment. The latter is associated with a high rate (about 40&#15...

Growth hormone (GH) is the primary regulator of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) production in a wide variety of tissues. After secretion by the pituitary GH, GH is transported to the liver and stimulates IGF-I production in the liver. The IGF-I produced in the liver accounts for most of the IGF-I in the circulation. The circulating IGF-I will have effects on extra hepatic tissues as the heart, lung, muscles and kidney. Circulating IGF-I feeds back at the level of the pitu...

Transsphenoidal surgery is preferred as primary therapy for acromegaly, but cure or acceptable disease control with this modality is obtained in <60%, and in some cases surgery is not eligible. Second-line treatment with long-acting somatostatin analogues (SA) is successful in ~60%. This treatment offers tumor shrinkage in addition to lowering of GH and IGF-I in most patients. A potential concern is impairment of glucose tolerance due to the concomitant suppression of insu...

This lecture will address the timely topic of androgen replacement in women, which according to consensus guidelines should only be carried out if adequate estrogenization is provided. Female androgens either derive from direct ovarian production or from peripheral conversion of the adrenal sex steroid precursor, dehydroepiandrosterone, towards active androgens. Therefore, loss of adrenal or ovarian function, caused by Addison’s disease or consequent to bilateral oophorec...