Endocrine Abstracts

Prolactinomas are a common type of pituitary tumours, making up about 40% of these tumours in total, with an estimated occurrence of 40-50 people per 100, 000. They are more common in women, especially during their reproductive years, but they can affect anyone at any age. Although most prolactinomas are small and respond well to treatment, around 2-10% are aggressive, growing into nearby areas like the cavernous sinus or sphenoid bone. The World Health Organisation’s 201...

Thyroid storm is a rare complication of thyrotoxicosis, life-threatening if not managed appropriately.We report a 43-year-old woman who presented to emergency services with shortness of breath, palpitations and weight loss. She was pale, cachectic, in atrial fibrillation and had signs of decompensated heart failure. Investigations showed: WBCs: 3.2×109/l, neutrophils 2.1×109/l, Hb 53 g/l, platelet 233, TSH <0.02 mIU/l, FT4 64 (10–25 pm...

Significant hyperglycaemia suppresses beta cell replication and cell cycle progression. Acute beta cell failure is caused by several mechanisms involving oxidative and endoplasmic stress leading to DNA damage response (collectively termed glucotoxicity) (1). Short-term glycaemic control unmasks the regenerative potential of beta cells, leading to recovery and potentially weaning off Insulin therapy (1, 2, 3). We present a case of a 62-year-old woman with ...

Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine-secreting tumor. It is potentially curable but can cause life-threatening hypertension or cardiac arrhythmias. We report a 58- years- old woman with no significant past medical history who was admitted through the emergency department with complaints of chest pain, palpitation, and nausea. She reported six months history of episodic palpitation and throbbing headaches, sometimes associated with light-headedness and dizziness. Hence, she...

We present a case of a 26 years old female who was rushed to hospital with 4 days history of abdominal pain, vomiting and dizziness. She also had one episode of diarrhoea. Further history revealed that she had lost 32 kilograms of weight over the last 18 months through diet and exercise. There were no signs suggestive of an eating disorder.On examination she was peripherally cold, tachycardic (117/min), hypotensive (86/50 mmHg) and sweaty. Her Glasgow Co...

Introduction: A significant number of patients are intolerant of anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) and thyroidectomy remains the only treatment option available to patients who decline radioiodine as definitive therapy. As patients with poorly controlled thyrotoxicosis are at risk of developing thyroid storm, optimal pre-operative control of hyperthyroidism is essential. Rapid thyroid blockade (RTB) with the contrast agents sodium ipodate and iopanoic acid were attractive treatment opt...

Phaeochromocytomas are neuroendocrine neoplasms originating from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, causing 0.1–0.2% cases of hypertension. Although rare, phaeochromocytoma is potentially life-threatening, leading to hypertensive crises if unrecognised or mismanaged. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a potential complication of thromboembolic disease, usually resulting from ongoing vascular obstruction following pulmonary emboli. We report a c...