Endocrine Abstracts

Mattew Dobson (1735–1784) was a Liverpool physician who was recognised with FRS for his numerous and varied publications. He investigated a patient with diabetes, which at the time was considered to be a kidney disorder, associated with excessive sweet tasting urine. His experiments showed that the sweet urine, on evaporation, contained white granular material indistinguishable from sugar. However, he also made the crucial observation that the blood serum was also sweet t...

Clinical Case: A 51 year old woman of south Asian descent was referred by her GP to outpatient endocrine clinic for assistance with her mixed hyperlipidaemia (Cholesterol 9.5 mmol/L, HDL Cholesterol 1.03 mmol/L Triglycerides 6.7 mmol/L). Her past medical history included a previous hemithyroidectomy for removal of a thyroid nodule (histologically benign) and obesity.The patient’s symptoms were of weight gain (5 kg in 18 months...

Clinical Case: A 51 year old woman of south Asian descent was referred by her GP to outpatient endocrine clinic for assistance with her mixed hyperlipidaemia (Cholesterol 9.5 mmol/L, HDL Cholesterol 1.03 mmol/L Triglycerides 6.7 mmol/L). Her past medical history included a previous hemithyroidectomy for removal of a thyroid nodule (histologically benign) and obesity.The patient’s symptoms were of weight gain (5 kg in 18 months...

We report an interesting and important case of hypopituitarism secondary herpes encephalitis and available literature evidence.Case history: Twenty-one year old gentleman admitted to tertiary neurosurgical unit with excessive water intake, feeling tired, increased sleepiness, a few weeks history of confusion and ‘strange behaviour’. He was oriented in person but not in place, had high temperature.He had lumbar puncture, C...

Introduction: National audits suggest significant variation in experience of individual surgeons performing adrenalectomies. A 2016 cross specialty consensus statement recommended that adrenal surgeons perform a minimum of six adrenalectomies per year given improved outcomes with higher volume surgeons. Patients in the Scottish Highlands requiring adrenalectomy are referred to a single Consultant Urologist with a specialist interest in retroperitoneal surgery based in Raigmore...

Introduction: Cinacalcet is an allosteric modulator of the calcium sensing receptor which lowers parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. However, it is expensive and there is limited evidence of benefit in reducing complications of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). In 2019 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines suggested that cinacalcet could be considered in individuals with PHPT if surgery has been unsuccessful or is unsuitable and if adjCa<su...

Background: Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is a common cause of secondary amenorrhoea and is related to a combination of weight-loss, exercise and psychological stressors. These factors lead to suppression of pulsatile GnRH secretion. Diminished LH and FSH concentrations result in a hypoestrogenic state. We present an archetypal case of FHA that clearly demonstrates the ‘hypothalamic set-point’ for the body composition of a young woman below which...

Pituitary apoplexy (characterised by sudden onset headache, meningism and cranial nerve defects) is an unusual but serious complication of pituitary macroadenoma. Less than 2 percent of patients with pituitary macroadenoma present initially with apoplexy. Pituitary adenoma is the presenting feature in 10–25% of cases with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1, with microadenomas accounting for 2/3 of MEN-related pituitary adenomas.A 35-year-old ...

Factitious thyrotoxicosis secondary to Levo-thyroxine accounts for approximately 0.3% of all cases of hyperthyroidism. Although recognised as a cause of thyrotoxicosis, there are no peer-reviewed published cases of thyrotoxicosis secondary to ingestion of Tri-iodothyronine.A 23-year old lady presented to endocrine clinic with a 6-month history of palpitations, heat intolerance and tremor. She had a history of PCOS and reported difficulties with weight co...

Objectives: To audit the endocrine referrals from a High Secure Hospital (HSH) to a department of endocrinology.Methods: During the study, the HSH had approximately 400 beds, 75% male, 75% mental illness (mostly schizophrenia), 25% psychopathic personality disorders. The average length of stay in the HSH was 8 years, the majority of patients receive antipsychotic drugs (APD) and obesity and cigarette smoking is common.Results: Over...