Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland causing over-production of thyroid hormone. Although this disorder can lead to systemic changes throughout the body, the most common extrathyroid manifestation of Graves’ disease is ophthalmopathy. Patients can have significant ocular prominence from the increase in intraconal and extraconal fat and muscular hypertrophy. This can lead to vision changes, decreased ocular motilit...

Introduction: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland causing over-production of thyroid hormone. Although this disorder can lead to systemic changes throughout the body, the most common extrathyroid manifestation of Graves’ disease is ophthalmopathy. Patients can have significant ocular prominence from the increase in intraconal and extraconal fat and muscular hypertrophy. This can lead to vision changes, decreased ocular motilit...

The aim of this study was to investigate seasonal variation in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) using a retrospective population analysis linking HbA1c values to the time of year. The study cohort included 171 442 NHS patients from Scotland, UK. Patients were divided into three groups. The ‘stable group’ were defined as having a HbA1c that varied less than the tertile either side of the mean HbA1c. The ‘high summer’ was comprised of ...

Aims.To quantify the reasons for undertaking TRH testing and whether it changed management.Methods.A standard protocol was utilised-normal TSH response is peak 5-20 mUper litre at 20 mins with 60-minute level falling by third off peak. Hospital notes of 53-pts undergoing their first TRH test between October 2000 and May 2004 were reviewed.Results.44 (83%) pts had ...

Introduction: Flash glucose monitoring is increasingly used in the management of T1DM. Although the FreeStyle Libre reduces the overall burden of conventional self-monitoring of blood glucose, capillary glucose should be checked at times of Libre-predicted extreme hypo/hyperglycaemia.Methods: Consenting FreeStyle Libre users completed a structured questionnaire via phone interview. Users reported incidence of extreme hypo/hyperglycaemia (indicated by LO/...

Introduction: Thyroid nodules can be detected by ultrasound (US) in 20–30% of unselected populations. Various non-surgical techniques such as laser and radiofrequency ablation have been developed to reduce thyroid nodule size. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation is a new, non-invasive method that has been shown recently. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of US-guided HIFU treatment of benign solid thyroid nodules.<p cla...

Equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) is not only essential for the maintenance of early equine pregnancy but is also used therapeutically for synchronisation of farm and laboratory animals. Currently it is extracted from serum of farmed pregnant mares. We have recently reported that under normoxic conditions, BMP4 treatment of equine trophoblast resulted in a dose, and developmental stage-dependent increase in total number of differentiated binucleate cells that secrete eCG. O...

In October 2006 a 53-year-old, non-smoking woman presented with ectopic Cushings from a small cell, undifferentiated carcinoma (Grade 3 neuroendocrine) from a 10 mm tumour at the left lung hilum (Cortisol: 09:00 a.m. 720 nmol/l; 24.00 mm 742 nmol/l. ACTH 114 ng/l). Four years before she had sustained a myocardial infarction, with atrial fibrillation, and was found to have Graves’ disease, being treated initially with carbimazole then radioactive iodine, becoming hypothyro...

Pituitary adenomas are benign tumours, which do not involve mutations in tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes. We have shown that the canonical Raf/MAPK and PI(3)K/Akt pathways are over-activated in these tumours, but their downstream effectors are modified to a much lesser extent. It is probable that the oncogenic mutations responsible for the initiation of these tumours therefore lies proximal to the convergence of these pathways, at or even upstream to the growth factor rec...

Aims: Despite the plethora of testosterone therapies, Successful testosterone replacement remains a challenge. We assessed patient empowerment, treatment satisfaction and adherence to current testosterone replacement guidelines.Methods: Data were collected from case notes and a testosterone diary questionnaire in 16-patients with testosterone deficiency.Results: Median age was 46-years (range 21–69). All patients received an e...