Endocrine Abstracts

This presentation will review clinical advances in Endocrinology over the last year, highlighting studies selected on the basis of their impact on clinical care....

Hirsutism and hair loss are common and distressing problems for patients with PCOS. Both are associated with significant psychological impact, including symptoms of depression and reduced quality of life. Treatment options for hirsutism include non-pharmacological approaches (lifestyle change, cosmetic treatments, direct hair removal methods) and pharmacotherapy. Lifestyle change resulting in weight loss can result in modest improvements in Ferriman-Gallwey scores in addition ...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest endocrine disorder in young women, affecting up to 10% of the premenopausal population. In addition to its reproductive sequelae, PCOS is now established as a metabolic disorder, characterised by defects in insulin secretion and action. These disturbances, along with comorbidities such as obesity and dyslipidaemia, may predispose to an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease in later life. Our studies confirm a higher prevale...

Endocrinologists are faced with three main issues when managing a woman with a prolactinoma contemplating pregnancy: restoration of fertility, consideration of the effects of dopamine agonists on the developing foetus, and the effects of the high oestrogen environment of pregnancy on prolactinoma expansion. Untreated hyperprolactinaemia leads to anovulatory menstrual cycles with resultant amenorrhoea and infertility in most patients. Therefore, treatment is usually required in...

Hyponatraemia is the commonest electrolyte disturbance in hospitalised patients. Acute severe hyponatraemia is a medical emergency, leading to potential cerebral oedema and death if not actively managed. Prompt intervention with hypertonic saline is recommended to reverse neurological symptoms and prevent brain herniation, aiming for an initial sodium increase of 4 to 6 mmol. Overcorrection runs the risk of osmotic demyelination syndrome, hence further rapid sodium rise (to a ...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic endocrine disorder associated with long-term health risks. Supported by the Society for Endocrinology, the original CaHASE study consisted of an initial questionnaire to UK centres providing specialist care to adults with CAH, followed by a nationwide audit. Three hundred and seventy-three patients from 17 centres were contacted between 2004 and 2007, 203 of whom agreed to participate (138 women, 65 men, median age 34 (range 18...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic endocrine disorder associated with long-term health risks. Supported by the Society for Endocrinology, the original CaHASE study consisted of an initial questionnaire to UK centres providing specialist care to adults with CAH, followed by a nationwide audit. Three hundred and seventy-three patients from 17 centres were contacted between 2004 and 2007, 203 of whom agreed to participate (138 women, 65 men, median age 34 (range 18...

Resistance to Thyroid Hormone-β (RTHβ) is a rare disorder characterised by hormone resistance in the pituitary-thyroid axis which results in elevated, circulating thyroid hormones. Although some patients display features of hyperthyroidism, the natural history of RTHβ with respect to cardiovascular disease or death is unknown. In this presentation, I will review our recent data which used a linked health record approach in Wales to demonstrate reduced survival a...

Background: Malignant paragangliomas are rare. Predictors of malignant potential include high levels of normetadrenaline and/or dopamine, and the presence of a germline mutation in the succinate dehydrogenase B gene (SDHB). Prognosis is poor and treatment options are limited, with only short-term responses observed after 131I-MIBG therapy or chemotherapy.Aim: To report response to the oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib.<p cl...

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is a rare pulmonary pathology which encompasses a spectrum of findings ranging from simple neuroendocrine cell proliferation to discrete nodules, and is strongly associated with carcinoid tumours. Patients, typically female, are often asymptomatic, but may present with overt pulmonary symptoms, such a dyspnoea, cough or pleuritic chest pain; however, even in their absence, a degree of obstructive or mixed o...