Endocrine Abstracts

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder. Diagnosis is more frequently made where calcium testing forms part of routine screening bloods. The clinical profile has shifted from a symptomatic disorder with hypercalcaemic symptoms, kidney stones and overt bone disease towards a more asymptomatic state. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have produced guidelines on diagnosis and management of primary hyperparathyroidism but no UK guidelines are in existence....

Aim: There are few reports discussing incidence and characteristics of the whole group of Cushing’s syndrome patients in the literature. The aim was to establish the incidence of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome with in-depth analysis of their various subtypes in a well-defined population.Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Cushing’s syndrome patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2017. A thorough search for patients was carrie...

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrinopathy affecting approximately 6–18% of women of reproductive age. It is also the most common cause of infertility due to anovulation. PCOS is characterized by menstrual disorders, polycystic or enlarged ovaries on ultrasound, but hyperandrogenism is the central feature of PCOS. Assessing of serum testosterone level (T) or free T is recommended by the guidelines in the diagnosis of PCOS. Diagnostic value o...

Adrenocortical adenomas are among the most commonly identified human neoplasias, with a prevalence of 2-3% in the population. In some cases they are associated with autonomous cortisol excess that leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Altered cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signalling is common in sporadic cortisol-producing adenomas (CPA), mostly caused by somatic mutations in the genes coding for the catalytic subunit α of PKA (PRKACA) or the stimulatory G-pr...

Introduction: It is well known that DHEA and DHEA-S has and impact on lipid metabolism, cardiovascular system and others. De Castro et al. showed that cortisol/DHEA-S ratio was an independent predictor of long-term mortality in patients with sepsis. Chronic inflammation is an important factor in cardiovascular diseases development that reduce quality and life expectancy. CVDs are more common in patients with adrenal incidentaloma than in general population. Literature data on ...

Background: The diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome is based on clinical suspicion and biochemical confirmation. Most cases are caused by an ACTH secreting pituitary microadenoma. In its severe form and when untreated, Cushing’s syndrome is associated with high mortality. We report a case of untreated Cushing’s syndrome due to pituitary microadenoma 8 years after the earlier manifestations.Observation: A 21-years-old woman was referred for pro...

In some patients with Cushing’s disease (CD), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fails to detect small pituitary ACTH-secreting adenomas despite the results of endocrine evaluation indicating Cushing’s disease.Aim: The aim of this paper is to study frequency of hypocorticism after radiosurgery – protonotherapy (PT) for patients with normal MRI for Cushing’s disease and for patients with confirmed adenomas.Methods:...

Background: Cushing’s syndrome is a rare condition in pregnancy, because infertility is one of the main features of this pathology. Association between pregnancy and cortisol excess involves a high rate of mortality and morbidity for mother and fetus. Hypertension, preeclampsia, diabetes, miscarriage, preterm delivery or sudden intrauterine death can occur. We describe a case of a pregnancy in a patient with a history of Cushing’s Syndrome, diagnosed during the pre...

BackgroundCushing’s syndrome (CS) occurs due to cortisol overproduction. Endogenous hypercortisolemia can be secondary to Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent as well as independent causes (1). Early identification and prompt definitive management is crucial to minimize mortality. Successful management of CS becomes extremely challenging due to multiple associated complications, especially the thrombotic events which are even more prominent ...

Retinoic acid, a major modulator of adrenal development and differentiation, has also been shown to inhibit ACTH secretion by tumoral corticotropes. Recent clinical trials in patients with Cushing’s disease revealed that retinoic acid exerts beneficial effects in these patients (1, 2). Of note, the decrease in cortisol secretion during retinoic acid administration was more pronounced than the change in ACTH levels (1) suggesting a direct action at adrenal level. Aim of th...