Endocrine Abstracts

The adverse effect of childhood cancer and treatment thereof on growth was firmly established in the mid-1970’s. The impact on growth is multifactorial, however, cranial irradiation was quickly established as one of the most important contributors. Exposure of the hypothalamo-pituitary (HP) region to radiation in childhood cancer survivors is now a well-established risk factor for the development of anterior hypopituitarism. The degree of hypopituitarism can vary between ...

Approximately 650 000 children born in the UK each year, using a definition of a birth weight less than 2 S.D. 14 950 children are born SGA. 90% of these children will experience catch up growth by the age of 4 years leaving around 1500 children eligible for treatment with recombinant human growth hormone. Data from the BSPED audit in 2016 recorded 177 children started on GH at a mean age of 6.2 years – all of these children will have been short at 4 years ...

In adults, the absence of a biological marker equivalent to height in children, means the diagnosis of GHD relies exclusively on biochemical tests. Confirmation of GHD when suspected involves use of GH stimulation tests, serum levels of GH-dependent peptides, and 24 h GH profiles.GH stimulation tests have become the mainstay for diagnosis of adult GHD, which superficially appears to be relatively simple. GHD in the adult is accepted as a peak GH response...

A 54 year old gentleman presented to the eye services with reduced vision on the right attributed to a cataract. Following cataract surgery there was no improvement and his vision declined further with reducing vision also on the left. He was reviewed in Neuro-ophthalmology clinic 29/10/21 and clinical suspicion of a pituitary lesion based on binasal retinal ganglion cell layer loss and bilateral optic atrophy prompted urgent imaging. His right eye visual acuity was to hand mo...

Case history: A 27 years old lady having presented with a neck mass, underwent a total thyroidectomy for thyroid malignancy in 1967. Histology confirmed papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. In 1968, she complained of tiredness and mild neck swelling despite TSH suppressive therapy. Her thyroid uptake study showed a residuum of thyroid tissue within the neck. She went on to have radioiodine ablation therapy on two separate occasions. She responded well with no evidence of residu...

Introduction: Within the setting of putative or established pituitary disease the primary disease process (i.e. Cushing’s disease), hormone deficits (i.e. sex steroids, GH), and inappropriate replacement therapy (i.e. glucocorticoids) are reputed to predispose to low bone mass.Patients and Methods: We examined bone mass at the lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH) using DXA in 259 patients with an insult to the hypothalamo–pituitary axis (51.6&#...

We look into total 67 patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma and review their bone mineral density in association with age and gender, effect of radiotherapy and hormonal replacement.Age range: 5.97% (4 patients) are between 18 and 40 years, 43.28% (29 patient) between 41 and 60 years and 50.74% (34 patients) are between 61 and 86 years.Gender: 61.19% (41 patients) are male and 38.8% (26 patients) are female.<p class="...

Background: Graves’ disease is widely treated with anti-thyroid medication. After an initial course of treatment, remission is achieved in around 50% of patients. Definitive treatment is generally offered in relapsed cases, based on the assumption that remission rates following a second course of anti-thyroid medication are significantly lower.Method: A database of patients with Graves’ disease has been kept from 2004. 150 patients were suitabl...

Introduction: ABCC8 gene mutations cause transient and permanent forms of neonatal diabetes with variable modes of inheritance. Almost all patients present with diabetes under 6 months old with rare cases upto 12 months. We report 2 siblings with diabetes and identical homozygous mutations of the ABCC8 gene, one of whom presented classically under 6 months old and the other unusually at 3 years of age.Cases: The index case, a British Pakistani f...

Introduction: Bolus calculator glucose meters (BCGM) facilitate self-management of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). However, their effectiveness is dependent on the accuracy of the data entered, use of their smart functions and adherence to the insulin dosages advised. This study investigates whether optimising the use of BCGM is associated with better glycaemic control in children and adolescents with T1DM, and obstacles to preventing their effective use.<p class="ab...