Endocrine Abstracts

Skeleton is an emerging target for systemic complications in acromegaly. The GH/IGF-1 excess is believed to cause an increased bone turnover and negative calcium balance. Observations on bone mineral density (BMD) in acromegalic patients are inconsistent, possibly in relation to skeletal site and method of BMD measurement or gonadal status. Reports on skeletal fragility are also conflicting but it is predominantly believed that an increase of vertebral fractures (VFs) risk is ...

Introduction: Lesions of the pituitary stalk (PSL) are a challenging diagnostic problem for clinicians. Because of the critical location and role of the pituitary stalk, mass lesions in this area are not often biopsied, and the diagnosis may be based on clinical evaluation and imaging. Due to biopsy risk, about 40% PSL diagnosis are ‘probable’ or ‘unknown’.The main clinical symptoms of PSL are visual field defect, DI and hypopituitarism.<p class="abstex...

Introduction: Patients with aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene mutations are predisposed to large, invasive, GH- or PRL-secreting pituitary tumours, occurring at a younger age and poorly responsive to treatment. The zebrafish (ZF) model provides anatomical and functional similarities to human neuroendocrine system.Methods: AIP knock down (KD) ZF embryos were generated using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides injected at one-cell ...

Positron emission combined with computed tomography using 18F-deoxy-glucose (FDG–PET/CT) is increasingly used in the staging and detection of malignant disease. Normal pituitary is not visualized by routine FDG–PET/CT and its radiological evaluation relies predominantly on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The role of FDG–PET/CT in differential diagnosis of sellar mass, in patients investigated for malignant disease, will be discussed.<p class="ab...

Introduction: Generously supported by IPSEN)-->Active acromegaly is reported to be associated with considerable body composition changes, with significant lean body mass changes found only in men.Patients and methods: In patients with active acromegaly (n=40) 24 females and 16 males, 48.9±6.4 years old, with BMI of 28.04±1.27 kg/m2, diagnosed 4.15±1.09 years ago, body composit...

Background: Generously supported by IPSEN)-->Hypopituitarism is considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and early death in humans. However, some studies showed that most patients with isolated GH deficiency or combined pituitary hormonal deficiency due to gene mutations (PROP 1, GH receptors gene, GH-1 gene) can survive to advanced age.Aim: To collect clinical data on patients with congenital ...

Background: The partial or complete hypopituitarism is described as late complication of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Imaging methods of pituitary gland examination in the chronic phase showed pituitary atrophy, but a precise pathogenic mechanism that causes pituitary damage in HRFS remains unclear. While hypopituitarism in HFRS is rarely described, cardiac failure as a known complication of hypopituitarism is even more rarely described. We present a case of s...

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is disorder of one or more parathyroid glands, characterized by inadequately increased PTH secretion, almost always followed by hypercalcemia. Calcitonin, secreted by parafollicular C-cells in thyroid gland, is hypocalcemic hormone which partly acts as physiological antagonist of PTH.Aim: To evaluate calcitonin response in calcium infusion test in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.<p class="abs...

Background: Abdominal obesity, which in fact is a metabolic syndrome (MS), is related to decreased testosterone, insulin resistance (IR), increased inflammatory factors, non-alcoholic fat liver disease (NAFLD) and risk of early atherosclerosis. Elevated inflammatory markers (CRP) may interfere with insulin signal transduction at the neuronal level inducing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.Objective: To examine testosterone relationship with abdominal obesit...

Hyponatremia can unmask hypopituitarism and secondary adrenal insufficiency due to potent non-osmotic stimulation of vasopressin release under stressful conditions. Patients and methods: In a retrospective study 25 patients (13f/12m, age 58.9±18.6 years) with hyponatremia (119.7±10.5 mmol/l) were identified among 260 in-patients treated for hypopituitarism in our department over a decade. Results: Hyponatremia was recorded in 9.6% of our patients. In 84% it was the k...