Endocrine Abstracts

Paragangliomas are rare tumours that arise from extra-adrenal chromaffin cells within the sympathetic paraganglionic axis. While neoplasms of the adrenal medulla, (phaeochromocytomas) are normally characterized by catecholamine (CA) hypersecretion, paragangliomas can be nonfunctional. We report our findings from 5 patients (4 males, 1 female) with paragangliomas. In 4 out of 5 patients the initial presentation was related to the space-occupying effect of the tumour. Episodic s...

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest cause of hyperandrogenism in women. Severe hyperandrogenism or virilisation, however, suggest the need to consider rarer causes e.g. Cushing's, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and androgen-secreting tumours. Here we present a case of PCOS where the remarkable response of severe hyperandrogenism with polycythaemia to metformin excluded these rarer causes without the need for complex or invasive investigation.<p class="abste...

Prostaglandin (PG) E2 acts through its receptors (EP1–4) to influence uterine contractility during gestation and parturition. The aim of the present study was to identify functional EP receptor targets in isolated myometrium from term pregnant, non-labouring donors by use of specific and novel EP agonists.Biopsies of human myometrium were obtained at elective caesarean section from consenting term pregnant women, not in labour ...