Endocrine Abstracts

We have previously described a series of patients who presented with clinical and biochemical features diagnostic of phaeochromocytoma but in whom catecholamine excess proved to be secondary to undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We describe here a prospective study of 30 patients presenting to the sleep clinic with OSA from whom 24 hour urine collections were analysed for catecholamines before and after treatment with continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP).<p...

We report the case of a 73-year-old Cypriot man with bilateral adrenal histoplasmosis. He had spent many years working in Southern Africa and had retired to Cyprus more than ten years ago. One year prior to diagnosis he underwent an elective cholecystectomy. Pre-operatively bilateral adrenal co-incidentalomas were noted on ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Fine needle aspiration showed adipocytes within the gland and the patient had no further investigations at this tim...

Introduction: Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED). ED is associated with hypoandrogenism, endothelial dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and reduced quality of life (QoL). We aimed to compare effects of lifestyle modification-induced weight loss on insulin resistance, endothelial and sexual function, LUTS and QoL in obese non-diabetic men with and without ED.Methods: Seventy abdominally o...

A 59-year-old lady presented with significant weight gain, and a history of hypertension for investigation of possible Cushing’s syndrome. Her BMI was 29, with mainly central obesity. Initial tests revealed elevated untimed cortisol on two separate occasions, at 905 nmol/l and 893 respectively with detectable midnight cortisol, at 548 and 481. Of 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) was also elevated on two separate occasions, at 931 nmol/24 h and 827 respectively. ACTH wa...

Ghrelin is a 28 amino acid n-octanoylated peptide which is the natural agonist for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and which potently stimulates GH release in vivo (1). We studied the effects of a somatostatin infusion on Ghrelin release in normal subjects.STUDY PROTOCOLFour females and five males, 25-40 years of age, body mass index < 28 kg per m2 were studied. Local ethics committee permission was obtained for ...

A 22-year-old lady presented with an acute abdomen and underwent appendicectomy for early appendicitis. Post-operatively she developed headache, dizziness and neck stiffness, and later impaired attention and perseveration. Clinical examination showed papilloedema, a left IVth nerve palsy and left sided cerebellar signs. A CT head scan showed evidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and subsequent MRI confirmed SAH with some meningeal enhancement, as well as intraparenchymal ...

We present a 57-year-old female with Cushing’s syndrome characterised by new type 2 diabetes, hypertension, weight gain, bruising, proximal myopathy and depression. She also had poorly-healing cellulitic ulcers on both legs. Investigations: hypokalaemia and ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. Low dose dexamethasone suppression test: T=0 ACTH 85 ng/l, cortisol 907 nmol/l, T=48 h cortisol 807. High dose dexamethasone suppression test failed to suppr...