Endocrine Abstracts

Case: This 23-year-old lady initially presented in 2013 with headaches, galactorrhoea and secondary amenorrhoea. Visual fields were normal to confrontation. Prolactin levels were elevated at 3028miu/l. MRI pituitary revealed a 14x13x15mm adenoma pushing the pituitary stalk posteriorly, and compressing the left side of the optic chiasm.Initial Management: Cabergoline was commenced (250mg twice weekly), with good clinical ...

Background: Cranial diabetes insipidus (DI) is characterised by the inability to produce ADH (antidiuretic hormone) also known as AVP (arginine vasopressin) resulting in uncontrolled diuresis. Desmopressin is a synthetic form of AVP used to treat this. Treatment errors can lead to dehydration and hypernatremia which can be life-threatening. In view of recent literature suggesting current concerns with Desmopressin administration worldwide, Diabetes Insipidus i...

Introduction: The physiological actions of catecholamines have led to the empirical use of adrenaline in the management of anaphylaxis, with alpha-adrenergic activation increasing peripheral vascular resistance and beta-adrenergic activation relaxing bronchial smooth muscle and inhibiting histamine release. Supraphysiological levels of catecholamines are released by phaeochromocytoma and hence blockade of these same receptors is required for symptom control, prevention of end ...

Introduction: Incidental indeterminate adrenal nodules discovered on imaging in patients under the care of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton Foundation Trust are discussed in Urology MDT. MDT cases were reviewed for a 12 month period before an endocrinologist joined the MDT in January 2018 and 12 months afterwards, to review the compliance of local practice with European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) Guidelines for the management of adrenal incidentalomas.<p class=...

Introduction: Increased prevalence of diabetes is found in major psychosis, and poorer outcomes occur when both diagnoses co-exist. The aim of this study was to describe the association between total and cardiovascular mortality in people with both schizophrenia and diabetes, compared to diabetes alone.Materials and methods: Data was linked from the Glasgow Psychosis Clinical Information System (PsyCIS), the Scottish national diabetes database (SCI-Diabe...

Introduction: The incidence of adrenal insufficiency in cases of unexplained death in young children is unclear. It is also unclear whether there is a relationship between adrenal size and plasma cortisol concentration.Methods: All post-mortem (PM) reports of sudden deaths in children in the West of Scotland between 2010 and 2012 were retrospectively analysed. Combined adrenal weight (g) was recorded and expressed as the percentage of total body weight (...

20% of cases of FIPA have AIP gene mutations. These adenomas are often large and invasive. Our index case presented aged 13 with pituitary apoplexy. Histology showed necrotic tissue. He continued to grow and was 195 cm 4 y later. GH excess was confirmed. After treatment with octreotide and radiotherapy remission was achieved. His first cousin had also been successfully treated for acromegaly. This led to the original familial diagnosis. Subsequently, the c.910C>T, p.R304X ...

Deficiency of the intracellular glucocorticoid (GC) reactivating enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) invokes compensatory activation of the HPA axis. Nevertheless, 11β-HSD1−/− mice resist dietary-induced obesity indicating that target tissues are protected from GC actions. Since endocrine adaptation to diet is mediated by altered HPA activity, we investigated whether the adrenal response to high fat (HF) diet is compr...

Steroidogenic cells of the adrenal cortex are thought to originate from a peripherally-located self-renewing population of undifferentiated stem or progenitor cells. These cells divide infrequently to give daughters, which proliferate transiently (termed transiently amplifying (TA) cells), migrate and differentiate to replenish the functionally-differentiated zones of the adrenal cortex, or remain in situ as undifferentiated stem cells. Theoretically such stem cells can...

Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH) is an autosomal dominant disorder of mineral metabolism that is characterized by lifelong elevation of serum calcium concentrations associated with inappropriately low urinary calcium excretion (calcium clearance:creatinine clearance <0.01). Three separate FHH loci have been identified (FHH1-3). Loss-of-function mutations of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) gene located on 3q21.1, which account for the majority of FHH c...