Endocrine Abstracts

Prolactinomas are the most common pituitary tumours with a prevalence varying from 0.3 to 0.5/1000 in the general population. This tumor has a large female predominance and a median age at diagnosis of 30 years. Prolactinomas in men are characterized by a larger size and a higher frequency of compressive symptoms, invasiveness, and resistance to therapy. Although the diagnosis of prolactinoma is often straightforward and the treatment strategy has been well defined in recent g...

Introduction: Severe Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is defined by extremely high serum cortisol levels (usually >1000 nM), along with severe and deadly complications, including sepsis, heart failure, acute psychosis, vascular thrombosis, digestive haemorrhage and bowel perforation. Rapid control of such hypercortisolism is mandatory and has been shown to decrease operative mortality and complications. Oral treatments such as ketoconazole and metyrapone are often inadequate i...

Background: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant inherited tumour syndrome with an important phenotypic variability. Genetic testing for VHL is simple and accurate.Objective: In this study, we investigated the relationships between genotype and phenotype in a series of patients with different VHL gene mutations.Method: This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical and molecular characteristics of 15 VHL pati...

Background: Acromegaly is frequently associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or diabetes and treatment has also differential effects on glucose metabolism depending on specific type of medication.Objective: To study in 57 acromegalic patients evolution of glucose metabolism according to disease activity and treatment.Methods: IGF1 measurement, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and HOMA test to evaluate insulin sensitivity...

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is considered as the gold standard test for primary aldosteronism (PA) subtype diagnosis. However, it is also an invasive and technically challenging procedure. In order to reduce the use of AVS, we propose a new score predicting a unilateral (UPA) or bilateral (BPA) form of PA using biological and radiological parameters. The score was retrospectively developed on a cohort of 72 patients who underwent AVS at the Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc Br...

Introduction: The poor prognosis of patients with Cushing’s syndrome due to ectopic ACTH secretion (ECS) requires prompt diagnosis and management of the disease. Objectives: To find clinical and biological differences between ECS and pituitary Cushing’s disease (CD) at diagnosis and to determine whether any of them may be a potential predictor for early suspicion of ECS. Methods: This was a retrospective case-nested study...

Background: Patients with an insulinoma are at variable risk of severe hypoglycemia due to wide ranges of both tumoral insulin secretion and peripheral tissue sensitivity to chronic hyperinsulinaemia.Objectives: In this study we investigated the clinical, biological and tumoral characteristics of a large series of patients with immunohistochemically confirmed insulinoma and we assessed both insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in fasting steady-sta...

A 64-year-old Algerian woman was transferred to our institution with a pituitary tumor causing severe visual impairment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a T1-isointense, T2-hyperintense sellar mass measuring 48×35×30 mm, with homogenous enhancement after gadolinium injection (Figure 1). This mass extended to the suprasellar region, compressing the optic chiasma, and to both cavernous sinus, completely surrounding and narrowing carotid arteries. Ophthalmologic...

Introduction: Thyrotropin receptor stimulating antibodies (TRAb) are responsible for Graves’ disease (GD) manifestations. Other thyroid antibodies, namely thyroperoxidase (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin (TGAb) antibodies are highly prevalent in GD, but their roles in GD presentation and evolution are controversial.Methods: We retrospectively analysed TPOAb and TGAb levels and evolution in 88 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed GD between 2000 and 20...

Introduction: The Incidental diagnosis of non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NPFMA) is becoming more prevalent with the spread of modern imaging techniques. More clinical data about their natural history and surgical results are needed. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical files of patients referred to our clinic for an incidental NFPMA between 2010 and 2019. In particular, we compared patients that experienced tumor growth or not during su...