Endocrine Abstracts

A 69-year-old female presented in 2002 with symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Thyroid function tests confirmed thyrotoxicosis with elevated fT4 and fT3 but with an elevated TSH (TSH 5.8 mU/l, fT4 31.7 pmol/l, fT3 8.1 pmol/l). Pituitary function tests other than the TSH were normal. Pituitary MRI showed a mass in the left half of the pituitary fossa, displacing the stalk to the right with no suprasellar extension. A T3 suppressi...

A 31-year-old Taiwanese lady presented with palpitations, anxiety, orthopnoea, peripheral oedema, diarrhoea and a swelling in her neck. She was taking no regular medication. Her paternal uncle had been treated for thyrotoxicosis. She smoked 20 cigarettes per day. Clinical examination revealed tachycardia (pulse rate between 115 and 150 beats/min), tachypnoea (respiratory rate 30 breaths/min), hypertension (BP 161/125 mmHg) and congestive cardiac failure. The thyroid gland was ...

The gastric hormone ghrelin increases appetite and energy intake when administered by intravenous infusion to human subjects and has recently been reported to increase energy intake in patients with anorexia of cancer. Ghrelin also stimulates growth hormone release. We have now investigated whether subcutaneous administration of ghrelin is effective. Approval of the local ethics committee was obtained. Following a preliminary dose-finding study, 16 lean healthy volunteers rece...