Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Checkpoint inhibitors (CPi) are finding a place in the treatment algorithm of an increasing number of cancers. Immune-related (ir) endocrinopathies are frequent side-effects. Diabetes mellitus (irDM) is infrequent, but often presents acutely and can be potentially life-threatening There are ˜60–70 cases characterising irDM in the literature. We describe 4 cases of irDM to add to the understanding of this condition. All four patients were undergoing trea...

Oestrogen quantification in serum is challenging as concentrations are low, especially in men and post-menopausal women. Additionally, oestrogens do not ionise readily and structure similarities can lead to cross-reactivity and reduced specificity, especially with immunoassay. Full characterisation of oestrogen metabolism and its role in disease progression has therefore not been fully investigated. We aimed to develop and validate a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry met...

Introduction: Atypical pituitary adenomas are tumors refractory to conventional therapy and characterized by a tendency to rapid progression and high recurrence rate. The aim of the study was to summarize our experience in treatment of atypical pituitary adenomas with temozolomide (TMZ).Material: 5 patients (3F;2M) aged 44–58 (mean 52.4±5.4) years treated in 2013–2016. We analyzed the results, tolerance and side effects of TMZ.<p class...

Introduction: The role of surgery to resect the primary lesion in incurable metastatic small intestinal (SI-NET) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (P-NET) remains controversial. Recent evidence suggests that palliative surgery may increase survival even in asymptomatic patients with non-functioning tumours. The present study investigated the value of palliative resection of the primary tumour in SI-NET and P-NET by systematic literature review and meta-analysis.<p clas...

Introduction: Amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) occurs in 5–10% of patients and may occur at any time throughout the course of treatment including months after discontinuation. Two distinct forms of AIT are distinguished and treated differently. Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism, typically seen in patients with underlying thyroid disease, is referred to as typ1 AIT and treated with high doses of thionamide antithyroid drugs and perchlorate. Type 2 AIT is a destructive ...

Introduction: The adverse impact of overt hypothyroidism that complicates pregnancy outcomes is well-established. In order to eliminate these complications has long been discussion about the need for early detection of the disease of the thyroid gland in the population of women planning pregnancy, respectively in early pregnancy. In Slovakia, this effort resulted in the approval of screening for thyroid diseases in pregnancy and has been enshrined in a legislative in 2009. Obl...

59-year-old gentleman with known succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit C (SDHC) gene mutation attended endocrine clinic with non-specific symptoms. Past medical history included glomus jugulare paraganglioma (PGL) surgically treated (1993, 2003) with residual disease, macroprolactinoma treated with cabergoline since 2010, and BPH treated with finasteride and tamsulosin. His brother has glomus vagale. Clinical examination was unremarkable. Plasma metanephrine ranged between 3...

Background: One percent of the adult population are, at any one time, prescribed oral glucocorticoids (GC). GCs are known to be associated with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis suppression. However, there remains uncertainty regarding: i) the prevalence of GC-induced adrenal insufficiency (AI); ii) the effects of GC dose and duration; and iii) the time course of adrenal recovery and how GCs should be withdrawn. We undertook a systematic literature review to addres...

Thyroid storm (TS) is one extreme of a continuum beginning with thyrotoxicosis. It’s rarely caused by exogenous thyroid hormone intake (ETHI). Aggressive medical therapy is the cornerstone of treatment; nevertheless, it might not be sufficient. Plasmapheresis is an extracorporeal technique that can rapidly lower thyroid hormone levels. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of plasmapheresis in TS secondary to ETHI. We evaluated retrospectively all TS cases (Bur...

We measured chromogranin A (CgA) and chromogranin B (CgB) in 36 patients, recently confirmed to have a midgut carcinoid tumour (MGC), prior to the commencement of octreotide treatment. Blood samples were taken before and after a bolus injection of 50 μg octreotide. There were 21 males, 15 females, age range 28–76 median 61 years.Basal CgA, expressed as times the upper limit of normal (ULN) ranged from 333.3 to 0.5 ULN. Basal CgB ranged from 33....