Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Copeptin is the C-terminal fragment of proAVP and secreted in equimolar amounts with AVP. While AVP is unstable in vitro and has proved difficult to measure in clinical practice, copeptin is relatively stable and can be measured using an automated immunoassay. Therefore copeptin measurement offers potential as a more practical alternative to the direct measurement of AVP in the investigation of polyuria/polydipsia.Methods: AVP, cop...

A 47-year-old female presented with facial swelling, easy bruising, and concern regarding possible Cushing’s syndrome. She had developed secondary amenorrhoea 3 years previously; biochemistry suggested hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, felt to be hypothalamic secondary to low BMI and intense exercise. She was normotensive, and BMI was 17.4. There was no evidence of abdominal striae, proximal myopathy or hirsutism, but her face appeared rounder and plethoric compared with a ...