Endocrine Abstracts

Background: In clinical practice, occasional hypothyroid patients require more than the expected dose of levothyroxine. This could be due to compliance issues, excess body weight, drug interference or malabsorption. The Grampian Automated Follow-Up Register (GAFUR) currently monitors around 17 500 hypothyroid patients on levothyroxine; 36 (0.6%) patients take more than 250 μg of levothyroxine daily.Methods: A questionnaire was sent to these patients...

Background: Generalised Resistance to Thyroid Hormone (GRTH) is an autosomal dominant condition with impaired tissue responsiveness to thyroid hormones. The majority of patients are asymptomatic and compensate adequately by elevated thyroid hormone production.Index case: A 47-year-old woman was referred to the thyroid clinic in 2000 when routine thyroid function tests (TFT) showed elevated TSH at 4.9 mU/l and fT4 36 pmol/l. A TSH-oma was excluded by norm...

Somatostatin analogues are the mainstay of medical therapy for acromegaly. The introduction of ready-to-use Somatuline Autogel (Autogel) raised the possibility of self/partner-injection. This study explored whether patients could administer monthly injections of Autogel, without compromising efficacy. After ethical approval, thirty patients treated with Autogel for acromegaly chose either the Control or Test group. Control group patients (n=15) received injections from ...

Background: National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the use of Growth Hormone (GH) replacement in adults with GH deficiency (GHD) were published in 2003, and subsequently ratified for use in Scotland.Aim: To identify all adults in Scotland currently receiving GH and to assess whether they meet the NICE criteria for starting and continuing GH replacement.Methods: All endocrinologists in Scotland were surveye...

Background and methodology: There are few data on changes in thyroxine requirement in the long-term follow-up of hypothyroid patients. We carried out a retrospective analysis to evaluate the long-term changes in thyroxine dose and its relationship with age, gender, thyroxine dose at registration and aetiology of hypothyroidism.Results: We identified 5,029 patients from our hospital based thyroid register with a minimum of 4 years follow-up (88% female, 7...

Background and methodology: In the long-term surveillance of treated hypothyroid patients, annual surveillance (with thyroid function testing) is widely recommended. This is largely based on consensus, as there is limited evidence to support this practice. Currently around 20,000 patients are registered in our hospital based thyroid register and the majority are on 18 monthly follow-up. We carried out a retrospective analysis to see if there is evidence to support increased fr...