Endocrine Abstracts

Oestrogen implants are one method of delivering hormone replacement therapy to post-menopausal women. The use of such implants has been associated with the phenomenon of tachyphylaxis, where menopausal symptoms return before the next implant is due, even in the presence of normal or high serum oestrodiol levels. It has been suggested that intervals as long as one year should be left between implants and that trough oestrogen levels should be measured prior to implantation....

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: There are over 650 liver transplants performed in the UK each year and about 5000 throughout Europe. After transplantation patients suffer from bone loss due to multiple factors. We present a unique case of severe Vitamin D deficiency resulting in life threatening hypocalcaemia following liver transplantation.Case: A 65-year-old Indian lady underwent an uncomplicated liver transplant, for hepatocellular carcinoma related to Hepatitis C. Pre a...

The presentation of a patient with an adrenal tumour often causes diagnostic difficulty for the endocrinologist. Adrenal tumours are rare occurrences, particularly when large in size. We present two cases, where large adrenal tumours were found in inpatients on CT scanning and discuss the difficulties which arose in each case when attempting to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Case 1 A 38 year old Bangladeshi woman was being investigated for fevers, sweats and pancytopaenia. She...

Over the last 10 years there have been significant advances in stem cell transplantation (SCT) in adults for haematological malignancies leading to improved survival. Conditioning regimes prior to transplantation often utilise high dose chemotherapy and/or total body irradiation (TBI). Significant endocrinopathies have been reported amongst children undergoing SCT. We report the effect of SCT during adult life on endocrine function.Basal hormone levels w...