Endocrine Abstracts

It has been estimated that by 2010 more than 1 in 600 adults will be survivors of childhood cancer. Multi-agent chemotherapy regimens, targeted and fractionated radiotherapy and individualised protocols to match disease stage, have all contributed to improved outcome. The greater numbers of survivors have focussed concerns on the associated long-term morbidity from cancer treatment and/or the previous malignant disease process itself. Although follow-up of survivors into adult...

Obesity and excess adiposity may occur following treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) even in those not administered cranial irradiation. Prior glucocorticoid treatment may be contributory as glucocorticoids have direct effects on fat mass (FM) and adipocytes. From 1997 to 2003 children treated for ALL in the UK were randomised to receive either prednisolone or dexamethasone.Objectives: In survivors of childhood ALL not treated wit...

Background: Hypopituitarism is an important sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults. In paediatric practice, however, there are concerns that it may be under-recognised. Symptoms may be mistaken for post-concussion syndrome, which may result in delayed investigation and diagnosis. Furthermore, predictors of post-traumatic hypopituitarism (PTHP) in children have not been consistently identified. As normal pituitary function is required for growth, serial growth monito...

Background: There have been a number of drivers that have led nurses to take on extended roles that have been traditionally been the domain of doctors. Competency frameworks for specialist nurses have been developed in other paediatric specialities, such as diabetes, oncology and epilepsy. However, this has not been established for paediatric endocrine nurses.Aim: To establish a competency framework for paediatric endocrine nurse specialists.<p class...

Single gene defects causing severe insulin resistance have been elucidated either by directed screening of candidate genes (INSR, AKT2, PPARG) or by detailed linkage mapping in large pedigrees (BSCL2, AGPAT2, LMNA), and study of patients harbouring these known defects continues to yield important insights into insulin’s action in health and disease. However a large proportion of the genetic defects leading to severe insulin resistance in slim subjects remains undiscovered...