Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: Best practice tariff guidelines recommend that paediatric patients with diabetes should have a minimum of four MDT clinic appointments, and an additional eight contacts with the diabetes service per year. This audit compares performance in a DGH against these recommendations. It seeks to determine whether there is a correlation between amount of contact with the service and average HbA1c level.Methods: Analysis of a database recording contact...

Introduction: Severe hyponatraemia is a medical emergency and can be life-threatening. It requires prompt assessment, investigation and treatment which can be a challenge as it presents to multiple departments. We therefore looked to undertake a review of severe hyponatraemia cases in our 1000-bedded acute trust with the aim of determining most appropriate care.Aims and methods: Retrospective notes review of all patients with Na ≤110 mmol/l between...

Background: Acidosis activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and induces glucocorticoid-mediated atrophy of skeletal muscle. The enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol and modulates glucocorticoid signalling locally within skeletal muscle. Here, we address a gap in knowledge how acidosis affects 11β-HSD1 activity in human skeletal muscle cells.Methods: Quadrice...

Introduction: Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) frequently exhibit altered insulin and glucose metabolism and many develop cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD). Lung function is influenced by glucose metabolism with changes in glucose metabolism resulting in deterioration in lung function. Recommendations suggest CF patients should have an OGTT annually to screen for the development of CFRD. We examined the OGTT profiles to ascertain whether simpler fasting measures of ...

Background and aims: In 2010 pituitary service improvements were instigated, e.g., creation of local pituitary MDTs/joint pituitary clinics with surgeons. In the absence of national guidelines on post-surgical follow up of pituitary patients there was an evolution of local best practice standards. An audit was conducted in March 2015.Methods: Twenty-six patients underwent pituitary surgery at local tertiary centre in 2013/14 with endocrine care based at ...

Introduction: Radioiodine is a safe and effective treatment for benign thyroid disease. It aims to treat hyperthyroidism and achieve a euthyroid state. Radioiodine is indicated in cases of hyperthyroidism caused by Graves’ disease or toxic goitre (solitary toxic adenomas or multi-nodular goitre). In practice there has been concerns about long term safety, worsening of eye disease and weight gain with this treatment.Aims: To audit outcome, management...

A 27 year old lady presented in 2016 with a 3 month history of intermittent headache and visual disturbance, 3.5 months post-partum. She had a past medical history of cluster headache; treated with verapamil and short courses of oral steroids (she had no recent steroid courses prior to presentation). She was found to have a partial right sixth nerve palsy but normal visual fields on Goldmann’s testing. She had biochemical evidence of secondary adrenal insufficiency (sodi...

An increasing body of evidence demonstrates that growth factor networks are highly interactive with oestrogen receptor (ER) signalling in the pathogenesis of a number of common cancer types, including breast cancer. Thus several growth factor-induced protein kinases are able to target and phosphorylate key regulatory sites within the ER and its co-activating proteins, a process that enables the activity of the ER as a nuclear transcription factor. It is believed that when aber...

Background: Cushing’s disease (CD) is rare, and standard treatment is trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS). We previously reported a remission rate of 56% in patients undergoing TSS for CD from a microadenoma/normal pituitary on MR in our unit. Early post-operative hypocortisolaemia performs well at predicting durable remission early on. Post-operative day 1 cortisol of <55 nmol/l has a 100% sensitivity and <138 nmol/l 95% sensitivity at predicting remission. Since Octo...

Background: Pituitary abscess is rare but a serious intrasellar infection. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the sellar masses due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite recent advances in radiological investigations, it remains a challenge to make a definitive diagnosis preoperatively [1]. We present a case of pituitary abscess who presented with pan hypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus.Case presen...