Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Short synacthen test is used to assess adrenal function by injecting 250 μg of synacthen (tetracosactide) and measuring cortisol at baseline and subsequently after 30 and 60 min of the injection. In our hospital the cut-off for a normal test is a peak cortisol of 480 nmol/l or an increment of 200 or more from the baseline value.Methodology: We reviewed the results of 50 short synacthen tests performed in our hospital within the last year...

Background: Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy effectively cures hyperthyroidism although a varying proportion of patients need repeat RAI doses. There is no consensus on the timing of redosing for RAI which varies in different centres between 6 weeks and 12 months depending on the perceived time to respond to therapy.Aim: We have undertaken a retrospective study to assess if after the initial RAI dose of 400 MBq a second RAI dose can be administered earli...

Case history: 29 year old lady presented to A&E with UTI. She had a history of emotionally unstable personality disorder and was an elective inpatient in a psychiatric hospital at the time of her presentation. Blood tests done on admission showed that she was hypercalcaemic. She was treated for UTI and referred to endocrinology. Biochemistry tests were in keeping with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH). It transpired that her father and sister also had hypercalcae...

Pheochromocytomas account for increased catecholamine secretion in about 90% of cases. Less than 5% of Less head and neck paragangliomas (PGs) secrete catecholamines. As in all extra-adrenal catecholamine secreting paraganglionomas (CSPs) they produce predominantly norepinephrine and little epinephrine secretion. About 25% of PGs are familial and have mutations involving RET,VHL, SDHB, SDHC or SDHD and other newly described genes.We present two cases of ...

Aim: The aim of our study was to explore the possibility of using a district-wide laboratory database as a governance tool to ensure the optimum management of patients with biochemical hyperthyroidism.Patients and methods: A complete list of patients on whom TFT were requested over a 3-month period was obtained and patients with unequivocal hyperthyroidism were identified. General practitioners (GP) of patients not referred to the specialist endocrine te...

Background and aim: Fixed dose radioiodine therapy (RAI) is considered to be the standard regime for management of hyperthyroidism although the actual RAI activity used varies between different centres. We have undertaken a retrospective comparison between various outcomes achieved following the use of fixed RAI doses of 400 and 550 MBq at two different centres.Patients and methods: An electronic database has been prepared for all patients who receive RA...

Background: Urinary catecholamine measurement has been the mainstay for diagnosis of a phaeochromocytoma. Plasma metanephrine estimation has been introduced more recently although its precise position remains unclear. We have undertaken a retrospective analysis of patients who have undergone this test to assess its usefulness in the diagnostic process.Patients and methods: We evaluated all patients who have had plasma metanephrine estimation over the pas...

Introduction: Hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves’ disease is well-recognised to be associated with non-thyroidal immunological manifestations like ophthalmopathy and pretibial myxoedema. We report a patient with Graves’ disease who presented with an unusual complication.Case: A 68 year old Caucasian lady presented with typical features of hyperthyroidism which was confirmed by free T4 72.0 pmol/l (12.0–22.0 pmol/l) and TSH <0.01 mU/l ...