Endocrine Abstracts

Obesity and excess adiposity may occur following treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) even in those not administered cranial irradiation. Prior glucocorticoid treatment may be contributory as glucocorticoids have direct effects on fat mass (FM) and adipocytes. From 1997 to 2003 children treated for ALL in the UK were randomised to receive either prednisolone or dexamethasone.Objectives: In survivors of childhood ALL not treated wit...

Background and Aims: Studies have revealed increased vascular mortality, particularly cerebrovascular mortality in hypopituitary adults. Cranial radiotherapy has been implicated. This study was designed to assess the impact of cranial irradiation upon cerebrovascular function in patients with pituitary disease.Methods: Three groups were studied: - Group 1- (n=12), patients with pituitary disease who have had cranial radiotherapy, Group 2- (n</i...

Introduction-Cushing's syndrome is characterised by hypercortisolaemia, loss of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion and loss of negative hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) feedback. Patients with adrenal incidentalomas may manifest some signs of cortisol excess before developing overt Cushing's syndrome. This can be considered as 'Cushing's syndrome in evolution'.Case History-A 47 year old lady with ty...

11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD) type 2 inactivates cortisol and has not been previously found in ovine or human adipose tissue (1,2). Early-mid nutrient restriction (NR) increases adipose tissue stores in term offspring and upregulates 11βHSD1 mRNA expression in perirenal adipose tissue. We determined the presence of 11βHSD2 mRNA expression in omental adipose tissue of neonatal lambs after early-mid maternal NR.19 twin-beari...

Case ReportA 36 year old Asian female presented to the Accident and Emergency with a sudden collapse.On examination, the patient was pyrexial at 38.3 degC and had a Glasgow Coma Scale of 4 associated with nuchal rigidity. The patient was ventilated and transferred to ITU. An MRI head scan revealed a large ring enhancing lesion in the hypothalamus which extended to the third ventricle. There was also diffuse lepto-meningeal enhancement with hydrocephalus....

Background: Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at increased risk of other autoimmune conditions including thyroid, coeliac and Addison’s diseases. Hyperpigmentation is a recognized feature of Addison’s disease. We present a case with unusual diabetes-technology related hyperpigmentation.Case report: A 12-year-old male with known T1DM (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positive), coeliac diseas...

Backround: Recent research has heightened the controversy surrounding the effects of conventional hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular risk, suggesting that use of HRT is associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Testosterone has also been associated with unfavourable cardiovascular parameters and the addition of testosterone to HRT may augment the risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women.Aim: To elucida...

The number of people diagnosed and living with cancer in the UK continues to rise and this also places increasing demands on specialist cancer care services (NHS England 2015). Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) incidence and prevalence increases alongside this demand (PHE 2016). NETs still remain a rare cancer with specialist needs and the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) team are ideally placed to support these patients. Oncology clinics are becoming increasingly pressured and the...

Introduction: Graves’ hyperthyroidism affects 0.2–2% of women and 1–5% of infants born to these mothers will be symptomatic. Neonatal thyrotoxicosis is a potentially life-threatening condition and infants are currently monitored in hospital till day 4 of life. Graves’ disease is caused by TSH-receptor antibodies (TRAb) which can cross from the maternal to the foetal circulation where they may stimulate the developing thyroid gland causing neonatal thyrotoxi...

Choriogonadotrophin-alpha (Cga) is one of the first molecular markers for the developing pituitary gland previously known as ‘alpha-subunit’, common to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Mice lacking Cga are hypogonadal and exhibit profound hypothyroidism and dwarfism. Light microscopy of Cga null mice has shown that pituitary thyrotrophs...