Endocrine Abstracts

Context: Late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) measurement has been promoted as an ideal screening test for the diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome (CS). However, its performance using commercially available assays has not been widely evaluated and limited data are available on its use in population with chronic medical conditions.Aim: To compare the diagnostic performance of LNSC (routine use) in patients with CS and in a patients’s group with diffe...

Introduction: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency is a growing healthcare problem in HIV-infected patients. Evidence suggests that an optimal level of 25(OH)D would avoid secondary hyperparathyroidism but its optimal serum concentration has not been defined in HIV-infection. The aim of our study was to identify the 25(OH)D serum concentration that correlates to i-PTH increase and describe the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in a cohort of HIV-infected patients.<p clas...

Introduction: Gynecomastia is a frequent reason for endocrinology consultation and its correct investigation is pivotal towards a precise diagnosis. We present a clinical case of a rare cause of gynecomastia.Case report: A 56-year-old male was referred to the hospital setting for an endocrinology consultation. He noticed increased breast size for a year, initially tender to palpation, and unquantified weight loss. Neither galactorrhea, nor any nipple dis...

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare disease, with a severely adverse prognosis. Clinical reports, even when including a limited number of cases, can contribute to its knowledge. This study aims to characterize patients followed at our department between 1991 and 2013.Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical records of patients with pathological confirmation of ACC. Statistical analysis: SPSS21.Results: 22 ...

Introduction: The metabolic consequences of hyperprolactinemia and the repercussions of its treatment with dopaminergic agonists are not yet fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the metabolic profile of patients with prolactinomas (prevalence of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and obesity) and identify the potential variations after treatment with bromocriptine.Methods: Retrospective study of patients followed between 1962 and 2013. Included 17...

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is the most frequent thyroid disorder in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but the cause of this association is not well established. Moreover, no studies focused on the possible relationship between some specific immunologic patterns of SLE and the development of hypothyroidism have been reported.Methods: In our study, we determined the immunological features and the thyroid status of 103 consecutive patients ...

Introduction: Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) is an autoimmune disorder that constitutes a major clinical and therapeutic challenge. Current treatment options for moderate-to-severe GO include immunotherapy, orbital radiotherapy and decompression surgery. Limited drugs of proven efficacy are available for the treatment of people with GO. Given the role in the pathogenesis of GO of interleukin (IL)-6 expression in adipocytes, fibroblasts and macrophages, the proposed theory i...

Introduction: Pasireotide is a promising treatment option for patients with Cushing’s disease (CD). The measurement of salivary cortisol is useful for diagnosing hypercortisolism and monitoring patients with CD following pituitary surgery. It may also be a better index of cortisol secretion than serum cortisol or urinary free cortisol (UFC). We investigated the value of salivary cortisol in monitoring short-term efficacy of pasireotide in patients with CD.<p class="ab...

Introduction: On average, 40 to 50% of the patients with autoimmune adrenocortical insufficiency will eventually develop an autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS). Our aim was to characterize a population with primary adrenocortical insufficiency (AI) and determine the prevalence of other autoimmune disorders that might establish the diagnosis of APS.Materials and methods: We included patients with primary AI under surveillance at our Department. Those ...

The management of Cushing’s disease (CD) can be problematic, particularly when the disease persists following pituitary surgery. Here we report the case of a 55-year old woman with CD that persisted after repeat transsphenoidal surgery. The patient had an overt phenotype with facial rubeosis, central obesity with supraclavicular fat accumulation, cervical fat pad and proximal muscle weakness. She had received anti-hypertensive drugs and insulin for diabetes mellitus. Horm...