Endocrine Abstracts

We present a 33-year-old lady who was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism in 2004 (aged 22). Investigations showed parathyroid hyperplasia and she underwent a parathyroidectomy of three glands with one parathyroid gland implanted into each thigh. She then presented in 2013 with symptoms in keeping with hypercalcaemia. Initial investigations included ultrasound of thyroid and parathyroid glands which showed no evidence of parathyroid adenoma and incidental tiny cysts on ...

POEMS syndrome is rare multi-system disorder characterised by a paraneoplastic plasma cell disorder. The acronym POEMS stands for Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, M protein, and Skin changes. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, but chronic overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines have an integral role in the disorder. Diagnosis of POEMS is difficult owing to the variety of clinical manifestations. Mandatory diagnostic criteria are (a) one major cr...