Endocrine Abstracts

Exposure to stressful events during development is known to have significant effects on a range of phenotypic traits in later life. Several mammalian studies have linked early post-natal stress to later changes in the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, underlying the physiological response to stress. However, the physiological link (lactational hormonal transfer) between mother and offspring during post-natal development limits our ability to determine the direct effec...

Case: A 44-year-old lady was diagnosed with Acromegaly (IGF-1 of 1315 ng/ml, prolactin 498 mu/l). She was also thyrotoxic clinically and biochemically with T4 29 pmol/l (normal 9-26), total T3 3.24 nmol/l (normal 0.9–2.2) but high TSH of 3.50 mu/l (normal 0.35–3.5). Further work-up with TRH testing and α-subunit measurement confirmed a TSHoma. Pituitary MRI scan showed a macroadenoma displacing optic chiasm and extending into cavernous sinu...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. It is thought that androgen excess contributes to the mechanism of insulin resistance. Granulosa cells in PCOS demonstrate impaired insulin-induced glucose uptake and lactate accumulation1. The aim of this study was to characterise insulin signalling (via the PI3-Kinase (PI3-K) pathway) and glucose metabolism in an immortalised mouse granulosa cell line (KK1)2, a...

Introduction: It is known that certain endocrine disorders are related to each other and occur together due to their autoimmune aetiology. Patients with an autoimmune disease must be considered at risk for other autoimmune disease. Addison’s disease usually presents with recurrent hypoglycaemia in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus.We present a case Addison’s disease in type 1 diabetes presenting with severe hyperglycaemia.<p class="abs...

Introduction: Cushing’s syndrome is characterised by glucocorticoid excess. This is more commonly caused by excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) produced either by a pituitary tumour (Cushing’s disease) or ectopic secretion. An example of the latter is the production of ACTH by a lung carcinoma (typically small cell)1. Other causes of Cushing’s syndrome include long term steroids or adrenal carcinoma.Case history: A 62-year...

Patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s) have mildly but significantly increased mortality from cardiovascular, malignant, and infectious diseases, predominantly pneumonia (Bergthorsdottir et al. 2006). Death from adrenal crisis is rare and largely preventable, but life-threatening adrenal crisis is a regular event in treated Addison’s with a previously reported annual incidence of 8% in the UK.We analysed the frequency of...

A 36-year-old gentleman presented to his GP 2 years ago with hypertension and was commenced on valsartan. In January 2008, he was noted to have mildly deranged LFT and abdominal ultrasound scan showed mild fatty liver infiltration and bilateral renal stones. He was referred to Urology for investigation of renal stones and a CT IVU showed multiple renal calculi, a 6×5×5 cm soft tissue enhancing lesion arising from the right adrenal gland and a 7 mm calcified density w...

Case history: A 2 year old Pakistani boy born of consanguineous parents was referred for a dermatological opinion as he had total alopecia. He was born with a full crop of hair, which was shaved at 7 days of age as per religious custom and had not grown back. His motor milestones were delayed such that he started crawling at 14 months and was unable to walk independently. His weight was on the 0.4th centile and his height (72 cm) was far below the 0.4th centile. His anterior f...

Introduction: Besides an incidental finding on MRI, headache, cranial nerve palsy, or pituitary insufficiency may lead to the diagnosis of a clivus tumor. Hormone secreting pituitary adenomas mimicking a clivus tumor can be easily identified by hormone testing, however, have to be considered prior to surgical procedures.Methods: Within the last 3 years, 9 patients were transferred to us with the diagnosis of a clivus tumor for surgical therapy.<p cla...

The regular performance of exercise has beneficial effects on autonomic control, metabolism, immune and brain function. To increase our understanding of the beneficial effects of exercise on stress coping we investigated changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and behaviour in mice and rats that had been voluntarily exercising since 4 weeks. If given a running wheel in their home cage, rodents such as mice and (Sprague Dawley) rats run spontaneously. Th...