Endocrine Abstracts

The concept of subclinical hypercortisolism remains controversial in Endocrinology. Preclinical Cushing’s syndrome, subclinical Cushing’s syndrome or subclinical hypercortisolism, recently renamed in the European Society of Endocrinology Adrenal Incidentaloma Guidelines as ‘autonomous cortisol secretion’, is an example where a definition and name has not been universally agreed upon. Previous studies from Italy have used multiple tests of the hypothalamic-p...

The concept of subclinical hypercortisolism remains controversial in Endocrinology. Preclinical Cushing’s syndrome, subclinical Cushing’s syndrome or subclinical hypercortisolism, recently renamed in the European Society of Endocrinology Adrenal Incidentaloma Guidelines as ‘autonomous cortisol secretion’, is an example where a definition and name has not been universally agreed upon. Previous studies from Italy have used multiple tests of the hypothalamic-p...

Background: Opioid analgesics are commonly used for chronic non-cancer pain but may impair gonadal and adrenal axis function. We measured pituitary function, rates of hormone deficiency, sexual function and quality of life (QoL) in patients on oral or transdermal opioids versus age and sex-matched controls.Methods: Participants with chronic non-malignant pain receiving oral or transdermal opioids for more than six m...

Background: Opioid analgesics are commonly used for chronic non-cancer pain but may impair gonadal and adrenal axis function. We measured pituitary function, rates of hormone deficiency, sexual function and quality of life (QoL) in patients on oral or transdermal opioids versus age and sex-matched controls.Methods: Participants with chronic non-malignant pain receiving oral or transdermal opioids for more than six m...

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function after trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery is commonly assessed using post-operative morning cortisol. We performed a prospective study to determine the sensitivity and specificity of cortisol and ACTH measured within the first 24 h, in predicting glucocorticoid requirement at 6 months both in patients with pre-operative secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) and with normal pituitary function. Exclusion criteria includ...

Objective: Aldosterone production can be regulated by adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which normally controls cortisol secretion. Some cases of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) display features which may suggest increased sensitivity to the stimulatory effects of ACTH. The aim of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between the hypothalamic--pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity and the characteristics of APAs.Methods:...

Hypertonic saline stimulated copeptin measurements have recently been described for the diagnosis of central DI. A copeptin cut-off of > 4.9 pmol/l has a diagnostic accuracy of 96.5% for distinguishing primary polydipsia from central DI1. A copeptin assay has recently been established in our laboratory. Validation of hypertonic saline-stimulated copeptin concentrations in our local population is needed before this test can be used with confidence in patients pre...