Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Commonly used pre-operative methods (ultrasonography and sestamibi scan) to localize the culprit parathyroid gland(s) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), frequently yield false positive or false negative results. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) washout after fine-needle aspiration (FNA) may allow for a targeted surgical approach. The aim of this study was to test the diagnostic value of preoperative PTH washout after FNA in PHPT patients.<p class="...

Introduction: Functional parathyroid cysts represent an uncommon cause of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and an even rarer cause of a cervical mass.Case report: A 57-year-old woman was referred to our department following emergency treatment of hypercalcaemic crisis (serum calcium 16.4 mg/dl) with i.v. hydration and zoledronic acid. She was found to have multiple vertebral fractures by plain radiographs one month previously. Despite being diagnosed a...

Introduction: Although the association between thyroid autoimmunity and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is supported by clinical studies, evidence to their pathophysiologic link and causal relationship is lacking. Moreover, there is a paucity of data regarding the association of thyroid autoimmunity with the less common types of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The aim of the current paper was to investigate the association of autoimmunity and PTC vs follicular or medull...

Introduction: Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) is common in the course of Graves’ disease, but optic neuropathy is present in only ~5% of patients with GO. We present a case of recalcitrant Graves’ orbitopathy with late development of neuropathy, satisfactorily treated with rituximab.Case report: A 50-year-old female smoker was referred to our department for further management of Graves’ disease with associated GO. She complained of worsen...

Introduction: Despite the coexistence of secondary hyperparathyroidism with anaemia, hematological manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) are rare.Case report: A 67-year-old Caucasian female was admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine due to normocytic anemia and hypercalcemia, diagnosed on occasion of muscle weakness and fatigability for 3 months.Her medication included: alendronate 70 mg/week, alphacalcidol ...

Objectives: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a cardiac hormone that is known to play an essential role in regulation of blood pressure and vascular endothelial function. However, the metabolic regulation of ANP is not fully understood. In patients with the metabolic syndrome, hyperglucagonemia is a common feature, besides hypertension and hyperinsulinemia. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of glucagon on proANP and the possible mechanisms underlying this effect.<p clas...

Introduction: Antithyroid drugs (ATD) remain the first-line therapy in patients with Graves’ disease (GD), despite high relapse rate. The purpose of the present study was to identify predictors of long term remission of GD in patients who received ATD as primary treatment.Description of methods/design: We restrospectively identified patients with Graves’ disease initially treated with ATD between 1984 and 2011 and extracted relevant data from t...

Objectives: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) plays a fundamental role in regulation of metabolism and energy homeostasis. Low BDNF levels have been identified as possible biological causes for development of obesity and BDNF administration has been shown to induce weight loss and to improve insulin sensitivity in diabetic animal models. Acute exercise is known to induce a transient increase of peripheral BDNF but no information is yet available regarding the exercise-i...

Objectives: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a cardiac hormone that is known to play an essential role in regulation of blood pressure and vascular endothelial function. However, the metabolic regulation of ANP is not fully understood. In patients suffering from metabolic syndrome hypertension, hyperinsulinemia and postprandial hyperglucagonemia are common features. It was the aim of the present study to evaluate the impact of glucagon on proANP and the possible mechanisms ...

Objectives: Gastrointestinal hormones are known to modulate satiety. The mechanisms underlying the impact of glucagon on satiety are so far unknown. However, it can be postulated that the glucagon-induced reduction in hunger feeling is mediated through changes in Cholecystokinin (CCK), which is known to play a role in meal termination. It was the aim of the present study to evaluate the impact of glucagon on CCK and the modulation of these effects in obesity.<p class="abst...