Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a low bone mass and the development of nontraumatic fractures, most commonly in the spine. However, bone mineral density (BMD) alone is not completely satisfactory in vertebral fracture risk assessment.Aim of the study: To identify clinical and laboratoristic factors associated with an increased risk of vertebral fractures in osteoporotic Caucasian women and to define a new clinically relevant scal...

Adult GHD patients may have reduced BMD with high risk of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures which is thought to be reverted by long-term rhGH replacement therapy. In this study we aimed at identifying the determinant factors of vertebral fractures, as assessed by a radiological morphometric approach, in a cohort of adult patients with untreated GHD. Forty-two patients (27 males, 15 females; median age: 48 years, range: 30–67) with untreated severe (as defined by a pea...

Adult GHD patients may have reduced BMD, which is thought to be reverted by long-term rhGH replacement therapy. We have recently reported high prevalence of vertebral osteoporotic deformities in untreated adult GHD patients. Gonadal status is the main determinant of bone loss in patients with primary form of osteoporosis.In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether the prevalence and degree of spinal deformities in adults with treated or untrea...

Background: Primary empty sella (ES) can be asymptomatic or associated with endocrine and neurological alterations, such as visual defects. Studies in a large number of patients is still lacking.Objective: To study visual deficit in ES and its relationship with hormonal status.Material and Methods: We recorded visual evoked potentials (VEP) by white/black, red/black, blue/black patterns. Isoluminance between red and blue checks all...

Anabolic therapies represent a major advance in the management of severe osteoporosis. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and human recombinant PTH peptide 1–34 (Teriparatide) demonstrated an increase in bone mineral density and a significant reduction in vertebral fractures in patients with osteoporosis when given for 18–24 months. The intermittent administration of PTH or teriparatide stimulates osteoblastic function, improves bone architecture and has an additional analges...

Introduction: Everolimus is an oral mTOR inhibitor that exerts antineoplastic effects inhibiting cell proliferation, survival and angiogenesis. Its activity in advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has been demonstrated in controlled trials and everolimus was approved by the FDA for the treatment of progressive, advanced pNETs in May 2011.Materials and methods: We treated with everolimus, at the dosage of 10 mg once daily, 14 patients with advanced, prog...

Introduction: The main goal in the treatment of acromegaly is achieving biochemical and tumor mass control. Therapeutic options include surgery, medical treatment and, in selected cases, radiotherapy. A GH receptor (GHR) variant that differs for the genomic retention or exclusion (d3GHR) of exon 3 is present in about 50% of general population and its presence is related to a greater sensitivity to GH.Materials and methods: We describe a series of 118 pat...

GH deficiency (GHD) and excess of glucocorticoids are associated with increased risk of fragility fractures. Most adult GHD patients have other pituitary deficiencies, but it is unclear whether these deficiencies or their overreplacement therapies may influence the bone disease occurring in GHD. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the prevalence of vertebral fractures may be influenced by glucocorticoid replacement therapy in hypopituitary males with GHD. We studied ...

Somatotroph adenoma represent 20% of pituitary adenoma. Although often considered as benign, they can induce serious neurological and metabolic complications. GH hypersecretion can be inhibited by somatostatin agonists such as octreotide or lanreotide. However, some GH levels reach normal values in only 50% of treated patiens. The decreased sensitivity to the somatostatin agonists was shown to be related to a lower expression of the sst2 gene.To reverse ...

Myelolipomas are rare benign tumours resulting from myeloid and adipose mature cells proliferation, both elements have a clonal origin from a common precursor. Myelolipomas predominantly involve the adrenal gland but may develop in extra-adrenal sites. They are hormonally inactive but may coexist with active diseases such as adrenogenital syndrome. They are often asymptomatic but rarely they cause symptoms due to their size or spontaneous retroperitoneal haemorrhage. The myelo...