Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypocalcemia is defined as a decreased level of calcium in the blood. The presentation of hypocalcemia varies widely, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. The most common cause of chronic hypocalcemia is postsurgical hypoparathyroidism. This may occur after removal of all parathyroid tissue during thyroidectomy and radical neck dissection for malignancies or after inadvertent interruption of the blood supply to the parathyroid glands during head and neck surger...

IntroductionPrimary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine disorder and classically associated with hypercalcemia (HHPT). There is a newest variant of PHPT, defined by normal albumin-corrected calcium levels - normocalcemic PHPT (NHPT) – which may represent an early stage of HHPT. Nevertheless, there is limited data on how this variant presents clinically and biochemically.AimTo evaluate the de...

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the major comorbidities in patients with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) leading to poorer outcomes. Previous evidence showed that poorly-controlled hyperglycemia increases the severity and mortality of COVID-19. Nevertheless, there is limited data on the role of in-hospital glucose control on the outcomes of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Objective<p class="abs...

IntroductionIn march 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic registered its first cases in Portugal, leading the government to impose lockdown, in order to prevent the spread of cases. With social isolation and outpatient activity being ceased, there was an increase in mortality of non-COVID patients. The lockdown recommendations are in contradiction with comprehensive diabetes care and reflected in less regular patient-provider interactions, which in some cases con...

Refeeding syndrome can be defined as the potentially fatal shift in fluids and electrolytes that may occur after the reintroduction of feeding after a period of starvation or fasting in malnourished patients. The hallmark characteristic of refeeding syndrome is hypophosphatemia. However, the syndrome is complex and may also feature abnormal sodium and fluid balance, changes in glucose, protein and fat metabolism, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and thiamine deficiency. The underly...

BackgroundAutosomal dominant hypocalcaemia, caused by either inherited or de novo mutations in calcium-sensing receptor gene (CASR), is biochemically characterized by the presence of hypocalcaemia, hypercalciuria and inappropriately low levels of PTH. Receptor-activating mutations induce an increase sensitivity to calcium by parathyroid and renal cells, leading to suppression of PTH synthesis and consequently hypocalcaemia. Clinical manifestations are va...

Introduction: Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare disease (1:4 million) characterized by a fatal premature aging. There are 162 cases worldwide, five of them in Portugal. It is caused by a sporadic autosomal dominant mutation in LMNA gene that encodes an abnormal variant of the laminin-A protein, named progerin. Although most babies born looking healthy, they begin to display some characteristics of Progeria around 18–24 months of life. The ear...

Introduction: Addison Disease is a rare condition with an estimated incidence in the developed world of 0.8 cases per 100 000 population. It is associated with relevant morbidity and mortality rates, but once the diagnosis is made it can be easily managed. When Addison Disease is associated with other autoimmune diseases, the diagnosis of polyglandular autoimmune syndrome can be set. The recognition of symptoms and signs can be challenging and clinicians should be aware of aty...

Introduction: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) demonstrated clinically significant activity in radio iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and in locally recurrent, unresectable and metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The natural history of MTC and DCT is quite variable with rates of disease progression ranging from a few months to many years. TKI can be associated with progression-free survival, but is not curative and the side effects may have a ...

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) and older age are frequent comorbidities as well as factors associated with poorer outcomes in patients with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The reason for worse prognosis in patients with diabetes is likely to be multifactorial.Objectives We aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and their impact on the outcomes of elderly patients with and without DM hospitalized with ...