Endocrine Abstracts

Prolactin is present in serum in a variety of forms defined by different molecular masses. Macroprolactin is the best-known variant, a high molecular mass (150–170 kD) form of prolactin usually representing a prolactin–IgG complex which reacts in immunoassays causing apparent hyperprolactinaemia. Big-prolactin is a smaller high molecular mass (50–60 kDa) form of prolactin found more commonly than macroprolactin; however, the origin and significance of big-prolac...

Thyroid cancer is the commonest malignancy seen in endocrine practice. Audits of clinical practice have revealed significant variations in management, and the British Thyroid Association have published guidelines (2002) to address this. The aim of our study was to assess the care-stage at which practice falls short of agreed standards. We performed retrospective case note review of 83 patients (72 female) followed in a specialist thyroid cancer clinic over 5 years. Histology d...