Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte imbalance in hospitalized patients and frequent finding in intensive care units. Hyponatremia is characterized with serum sodium values less than 135 mmol/l and defined by the ratio of total sodium and total body water. It presents with lethargy, confusion, neuromuscular excitability, hyperreflexia, stupor and even coma. In addition to neurological signs and symptoms, assessment of hyponatremia is based on severity and ...

Introduction: Pituitary tumors leading to acromegaly are typically diagnosed as macroadenomas with the potential to infiltrate nearby tissues. If left untreated, acromegaly can result in systemic complications, such as hypertension, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, leading to substantial comorbidities and a higher mortality rate.Case report: We present a case of a 57-year-old patient who initially presented in 1993 with g...

Introduction: Double and multiple pituitary adenomas (PAs) are rare in patients with Cushing’s disease. If two PAs are found, MRI cannot assess secretory activity. The claimed diagnostic effectiveness of inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) ranges from 82 to 100% across various studies. Yet, this procedure has limitations in everyday clinical practice. Thus, more clinical data on these lesions and possible advanced yet simpler diagnostical procedures are needed, as tre...

Objectives: Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that originate in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and excessively secrete catecholamines, which leads to a multitude of different symptoms. The most common symptoms include headaches, palpitations and sweating. Because of a diverse clinical picture, they pose a major challenge in diagnostics and often go unidentified. The diagnosis is confirmed by measuring plasma and 24-hour urinary metanephrine and normetan...

A 72-year-old male patient presented to the ER because of general weakness, myalgia, frequent paroxysms of atrial fibrillation, shortness of breath, and hoarseness. The symptoms persisted for two months, gradually worsening and causing him to lose weight. At some point, he noticed redness of the sclera and soreness of the eyeballs. Paroxysms of rapid atrial fibrillation have been known for more than 15 years, so he had amiodarone in therapy. His initial laboratory findings sho...

Background: Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a rare autosomal recessive, monogenic disease, that could be presented as a group of various symptoms, but clinical diagnosis requires existence of minimum two of three leading disorders: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism, and primary adrenocortical insufficiency.Case Presentation: We report the clinical cases of two siblings with APS-1, one 28-year-old male and one 25-ye...

The genetic heterogeneity of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) offers opportunities to develop individualized treatment approaches for affected patients. Therefore, an improved understanding of the molecular features associated with different tumor phenotypes is required. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 2α-regulated pathways involving the MYC/MAX complex are directly linked to differentiation and aggressiveness in PPGLs. However, the distinct functions of the two...

Background: Graves’ Orbitopathy (GO) is the most common extra thyroidal feature of autoimmune thyroid disease presentation. It is characterized by development of orbital inflammation that involves both, adipose tissue and extra-ocular muscles. The condition is associated with increased psychological burden and in severe cases may lead to optic nerve damage, causing blindness. While most patients with GO present with bilateral disease, asymmetric or unilateral GO may affec...

Background: Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement is an important tool for fracture risk assessment, but should be used with awareness of its performance and analysis pitfalls.Case Presentation: A 59-year-old patient underwent her first densitometry as part of a routine medical check-up. She had no previous fractures and no risk factors that could impair bone health. The results showed that her BMD was in the range of low bone mass. Four years later, de...

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum is a rare condition with multiple causes. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination and measurement of urine ketones, serum electrolytes, and renal function. Hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy can rarely be manifested with clinical presentation of hyperemesis gravidarum with substantial maternal and fetal complications. In most cases adequate hydration, with or without forced diuresis, as well as with low calcium content diet is treatment ...