Endocrine Abstracts

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) and other disorders of adrenal steroid synthesis compromise synthesis of cortisol and aldosterone. Deficiency of 7-dehydrocholesterol-7-ene-reductase (DHCR7) in the Smith Lemli Opitz syndrome (SLOS) also affects cholesterol synthesis. New-born infants have dysmorphic facial features, microcephaly, second and third toe syndactyly and genital malformations. Later there is mental retardation and problems with cardiac and intestinal function thr...

Hypopituitarism has been reported in 28-65% of long-term survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We attempted to define the natural history of post-traumatic hypopituitarism in order to devise guidelines for the optimal timing of patient assessment and hormone replacement.Fifty consecutive patients with severe or moderate TBI were enrolled in a prospective study of pituitary function during the acute phase, at 6 months and, at 12 months following TBI....

Recent evidence suggests a high prevalence of neuroendocrine dysfunction in patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI), but dynamic anterior pituitary assessment were performed in relatively small number of patients and posterior pituitary function remains poorly investigated.We studied 102 consecutive patients (84 males) who had survived severe or moderate TBI [initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 3-13] at a mean (+/- standard deviation) of 19 +/...

Prenatal manipulations in animal models result in lifelong alterations in the stress responsivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA). While several human studies have found raised 0900h cortisol concentrations in low birthweight individuals, twenty-four hour cortisol profiles do not vary according to birthweight (a marker of adverse antenatal exposures). One explanation for this dichotomy is that 0900h cortisol concentration measured in a novel clinic setting ma...

Crooke Cell Adenoma (CCA) is a rare variant of ACTH-secreting corticotroph adenoma. Its importance derives from its aggressive behaviour, association with Cushings Disease and differentiation from metastatic carcinoma. A sixty-year old shopkeeper presented with a two-year history of generalised aches and pains, proximal muscle weakness, increased facial hair and easy bruising. She had also noticed an increased abdominal girth and facial rotundity. There was an eight-year histo...

The outcome of parathyroid surgery is often not clear for at least 24 hours after an operation. Frozen section is not always helpful in distinguishing between adenoma and hyperplasia. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are being refined so the need for perioperative assurance about the effects of surgery has increased. PTH assays have been adapted to give results in less than 20 minutes. We have tested the value of intraoperative PTH measurements in 10 surgical cases under...

BACKGROUND: DHEA and DHEAS, can be converted into Androstenedione, T and DHT as well as oestrogens by peripheral tissues. In normal men the conversion rate of IV-infused radiolabelled DHEAS to T is only 0.7%. In hypogonadal men, this conversion rate may be increased. We hypothesise that a pharmacological dose of orally administered DHEA may be able to raise plasma T into the normal range in hypogonadal men. METHODS: Local Ethical Committee Approval was obtained. Two groups (n=...

Pituitary hormone abnormalities have been reported in up to 50% of survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI), tested several months or longer after the event. No information is available on the frequency of hypopituitarism in the immediate post-TBI period.We studied 50 consecutive patients who were admitted to the neurosurgical unit with severe or moderate TBI [initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 3-13]. Testing was performed at a median of 12 days pos...

Leptin is a crucial hormone in the regulation of body weight. It is produced by adipose tissue and acts centrally decreasing appetite and increasing energy expenditure. Leptin has been shown to stimulate sympathetic nervous system activity in vitro although the physiological relevance of this remains unclear. Increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and a greatly increased cardiovascular risk. We have the...

Background: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are a relatively rare group of tumors. Traditionally, management of unresectable GEP-NETs was performed by in-person assessment at specialized regional cancer centers. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedent shift towards virtual care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of virtual care for GEP-NETs after the COVID-19 pandemic at a high-volume academic cancer center. Me...