Endocrine Abstracts

Mattew Dobson (1735–1784) was a Liverpool physician who was recognised with FRS for his numerous and varied publications. He investigated a patient with diabetes, which at the time was considered to be a kidney disorder, associated with excessive sweet tasting urine. His experiments showed that the sweet urine, on evaporation, contained white granular material indistinguishable from sugar. However, he also made the crucial observation that the blood serum was also sweet t...

We report an interesting and important case of hypopituitarism secondary herpes encephalitis and available literature evidence.Case history: Twenty-one year old gentleman admitted to tertiary neurosurgical unit with excessive water intake, feeling tired, increased sleepiness, a few weeks history of confusion and ‘strange behaviour’. He was oriented in person but not in place, had high temperature.He had lumbar puncture, C...

Pituitary apoplexy (characterised by sudden onset headache, meningism and cranial nerve defects) is an unusual but serious complication of pituitary macroadenoma. Less than 2 percent of patients with pituitary macroadenoma present initially with apoplexy. Pituitary adenoma is the presenting feature in 10–25% of cases with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1, with microadenomas accounting for 2/3 of MEN-related pituitary adenomas.A 35-year-old ...

Factitious thyrotoxicosis secondary to Levo-thyroxine accounts for approximately 0.3% of all cases of hyperthyroidism. Although recognised as a cause of thyrotoxicosis, there are no peer-reviewed published cases of thyrotoxicosis secondary to ingestion of Tri-iodothyronine.A 23-year old lady presented to endocrine clinic with a 6-month history of palpitations, heat intolerance and tremor. She had a history of PCOS and reported difficulties with weight co...

Background: Obesity is a common sequel to tumours of the hypothalamic region and their treatment. Weight gain occurs at a rate faster than any expected age-related increase and despite treated hormone deficiencies.Methods: Retrospective review of patients with hypothalamic-pituitary tumours attending a large neuroendocrine clinic in UK.Results: Initial review in 2002 had identified 42 adults with tumours causing hypothalamic damage...

The multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) clinic at our hospital was established in 2002 with the aim of providing integrated, comprehensive and expert regional care to patients with MEN syndrome. The clinical team consists of an adult endocrinologist, a paediatric endocrinologist, a clinical geneticist and an endocrine surgeon.In 2002, 16 patients with MEN type 1 from five different kindred were seen. These patients had previously been attending a combinat...

Aims: The United Kingdom (UK) guidelines for management of acute pituitary apoplexy recommend the Pituitary Apoplexy Score (PAS) to objectively assess clinical severity of this rare neuro-endocrine emergency. We aimed to apply retrospectively this scoring tool to a large, single centre series of patients with acute pituitary apoplexy, and to determine its applicability in the management of these patients in the acute setting.Methods: Retrospective study ...

Introduction: Pituitary adenomas are uncommon in childhood and adolescence and knowledge of long-term outcomes is sparse. We describe a large cohort of patients, now attending our adult clinic.Patients and methods: Retrospective review of patients aged ≤18 years at diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma.Results: There were 24 patients (18 female), mean age at diagnosis 15.6 (range 11–18) years, current age 25.5 (14–47). O...

Background: Pituitary apoplexy is rare resulting from acute haemorrhagic infarction of a pituitary adenoma. Optimal management in the acute stage still remains a matter of debate.Methods: Retrospective analysis of casenotes of patients presenting with acute apoplexy at a single neurosurgical centre between 1984 and 2009 in the United Kingdom.Results: Fifty-five patients (35 males, mean age 52.4 (range 14–78) years, mean years ...

TRAB antibody is specific for diagnosis of Grave’s disease. We have conducted an audit to on our practice on parameters which TRAB could influence.Method: TRAB (NR 0–1 IU/l) positive patients were identified from biochemistry laboratory form April 2003 to February 2004. Sixty case notes were randomly selected for reviewed. Data were analysed subsequently.Result: 46 cases (77%) were female. Mean age was 42, range 6 to 78 y...