Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Camps offer valuable opportunities for creating a supportive environment of like-minded people with similar experiences of living with diabetes, thereby promoting self-efficacy, wellbeing and a healthy life style. In the midst of a post-Covid cost of living crisis, finance was identified as a major obstacle for families wishing to attend residential diabetes camps. A sustainable strategy, supported by co-production with young people, was needed to facilit...

Background: The prevalence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) among younger adults is low; clinical management mirrors that in older cohorts. This study aimed to review presentation, disease trajectory and survival outcomes according to treatment in patients aged 18-40 years (y).Methods: An electronic database was searched (retrospectively) for patients with NENs (18-40y) (cut-off May 2023). Patients with VHL, tuberous s...

Introduction: Common causes of generalised seizures are epilepsy, meningitis, head injury and hypoglycaemia. But this is an unusual presentation of generalised seizures secondary to hypocalcaemia due to prolonged use of PPI’s. PPI’s are amongst the most commonly prescribed drugs due to their effective medicinal profile. They are generally well tolerated, however, are now increasingly reported to be associated with adverse effects. There has been some discrepancy abou...

Background: Secretory pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNET) are common in MEN1. The MEN1 Clinical Practice guideline (Thakker, 2012) recommends annual assessment of fasting gut hormones (FGH) with annual pancreatic imaging for routine NET surveillance in MEN1.Study aim: To determine whether FGH (gastrin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, VIP, insulin, chromogranin-A) in a cohort of asymptomatic individ...

Background: Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is a key cause of absent, partial, or arrested puberty. Individuals with HH experience central disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, with deficiency in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). This leads to inadequate pituitary gonadotropins (luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)), resulting in immature gonadal development. It has substantial consequences including inf...

Background: The increased frequency and quality of abdominal imaging in recent years has led to a dramatic increase in the number of adrenal masses being discovered. This led to the setting up of an adrenal multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the development of a pathway for managing patients with an adrenal ‘incidentaloma’. We investigated for evidence of hormonal activity in many of these patients.Method: A retrospective audit was carried out f...

Introduction: Patients with neuroendocrine tumours located in the gastroenteropancreatic tract (GEP-NETs) and treatment with somatostatin analogues (SSA’s) are at risk of malnutrition which has been reported previously, based on weight loss or body mass index (BMI) only. Since 2019 The Global leadership into malnutrition (GLIM) criteria exist to diagnose malnutrition, including weight loss, BMI and sarcopenia. These GLIM criteria have not been assessed in...

Introduction: Since 2019 the Global Leadership Into Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria exist for diagnosing malnutrition. Patients with gastoenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) using somatostatin analogue’s (SSA’s) are at risk of malnutrition. Deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and trace elements are not part of the GLIM criteria but frequently reported in patients with GEP-NETs using SSA’s. The relationship between malnut...

Background: Up to 60% of patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are malnourished. This negatively impacts survival, length of hospital stay, risk of complications, treatment response, fatigue and quality of life. Malnutrition is typically defined by body mass index (BMI) or weight loss, which provides no information on body composition. Research in other cancers has shown sarcopenia is more significant than BMI. Information is lacking on the influence of ...

Neuroendocrine tumours, although considered a rare neoplasia, have been increasing in incidence in developed countries over the last few decades. Previous research has identified several genetic components1. Despite this there is a gap in our knowledge of the causal mechanisms underlying the development of these tumours, with a low background mutation rate and lack of putative variants suggesting that other mechanisms are responsible. Recent work in Pancreatic Neuro...