Endocrine Abstracts

BackgroundRadioiodine therapy (RAI) is an effective treatment for hyperthyroidism, being used with increasing frequency. There is no consensus as to the correct use of radioiodineThe aim is to compare our practice to the standards recommended by the working group of the Royal College of Physicians and Society for Endocrinology and to measure the outcome at one year of using a fixed dose of RAI (555 Mbq) .Meth...

Mutations of the DAX-1 gene cause X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Two half brothers (same mother, different fathers) were diagnosed as having Addison's aged14 years (brother A) and 7 years (brother B). Their mother had haemochromatosis being homozygous for the Cys 282 Tyr mutation of the HFE gene. Both had delayed pubertal development but defaulted from follow up. Brother A re-presented at 29 years of age with infertility. In view of t...

A 48-year-old man presented with classical symptoms and physical signs of severe acromegaly. Investigations revealed: fT4 12.8 picomoles per litre, TSH 1.4 milliunits per litre, testosterone 3.9 nanomoles per litre, FSH 4.3 units per litre, LH 2.1 units per litre, cortisol (09.00 hrs) 710 nanomoles per litre, prolactin 1657 microinternational units per millilitre and IGF1 155 nanomoles per litre. Growth hormone levels were greater than 150 milliunits per litre throughout an or...

A 67 year old man with 1 month history of malaise was referred when his thyroid profile suggested secondary hypothyroidism with a fT4 of 4.9 picomoles per litre, fT3 3.4 picomoles per litre and TSH 0.03 milli units per litre. Physical signs were unremarkable. Investigations:- cortisol (random) 294 nanomols per litre, prolactin 960 micro units per millilitre, testosterone < 0.04 nanomols per litre, FSH 5.2 units per litre, LH 0.07 units per litre and IGF-1 17.7 nanomols per ...

Encephalocoeles are congenital defects in the skull through which meninges and brain tissues herniate. Basal encephalocoeles represent 1.5% of all encephalocoeles and are found in 1:35,000 live births. Transphenoidal basal encephaloceles are very rare, representing only 5% of all basal encephaloceles. The pituitary and surrounding structures are drawn into the encephalocele with visual and hormonal disturbances being recorded in the few cases described.A...

Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a rare autoimmune disease of the pituitary gland.A 39-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of general malaise, anorexia, nausea and vomiting followed by a 3-month history of secondary amenorrhoea. Basal pituitary function testing revealed: fT4 5.1 picomoles per litre, TSH 1.6 milliunits per litre, cortisol 32 nanomoles per litre, prolactin 1167 microinternational units per millilitre, LH 2.8 units per litre and FSH ...

A previously well 46-year-old nulliparous woman presented with nausea, polydipsia, polyuria, nocturia, loss of appetite, weight loss of 3 months and secondary amenorrhoea of 9 months duration.Examination revealed the presence of a mass apparently arising from the pelvis, this being confirmed by CT scanning. Investigations: calcium 4.3millimols per litre, phosphate 0.8millimols per litre, albumin 45grams per litre, parathyroid hormone <0.6picomols per litre (1.6-6.9), gl...