Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Carcinoid tumors are neuroendocrine tumors derived from enterochromaffin or Kulchitsky cells (that secretes serotonin or other chemicals into bloodstream), which are widely distributed in the body, but they are traditionally described as originating from the foregut, midgut, and hindgut. A case of carcinoid syndrome is reported.Case: A 55-year-old man with medical history of Parkinson disease. Was admitted to internal medicine outpatient cl...

Introduction: People with intracranial organic lesions, including pituitary tumours, may manifest initially as a psychiatric disorder, such as depression, emotional disturbance, anxiety, apathy, neurobehavioral disturbance, cognitive dysfunction and personality disturbance.Case Report: A male patient 45 years old was sent to the Department of Endocrinology of São João Hospital due to a pituitary macroadenoma. The patient referred asthenia, musc...

Background: Ergot-derived dopamine agonist therapy (EDDAT) is associated with cardiac valvulopathy in Parkinson’s disease. The risk to patients with prolactinomas is uncertain. The EMEA/MRHA and BSE recently issued guidelines for surveillance echocardiography (ECHO) of patients receiving treatment with EDDAT. Our policy is to arrange opportunistic ECHO screening at first clinic visit guidelines.Objective: We investigated the uptake and findings of e...

Prolactinomas usually present because of reproductive/sexual dysfunction due to the hyperprolactinemia but they may also present because of mass effects. Prolactin (PRL)-secreting microadenomas enlarge in only about 7% of cases, so many can be followed without direct treatment, although sex steroid hormone replacement may be required. Dopamine agonists can normalize PRL levels in over 90% of cases and can reduce tumor size significantly in over 75%, with cabergoline being gene...

The use of high doses of the ergot-derived dopamine receptor agonists such as cabergoline for treatment of Parkinson’s disease has been associated with increased prevalence of echocardiography detected cardiac valve disease. Whether smaller doses of cabergoline used for treating endocrine disorders causes similar valvular abnormalities is not yet conclusively established.We conducted echocardiographic screening of 35 adult endocrine patients on curr...

Ergot derived dopamine agonist therapy (EDDAT) has recently been associated with fibrotic cardiac valvulopathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease. These patients received a cumulative dose of 2800–6700 mg of cabergoline for an average duration of two years. This has raised concerns about the use of these agents in patients with prolactinomas and has led to the recent EMEA/MHRA guidance that all patient being treated with EDDA should undergo surveillance echocardiog...

Objective: Treatment with ergot-derived dopamine agonists, pergolide and cabergoline, has been associated with an increased frequency of valvular heart disease in Parkinson’s disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of valvular heart disease in patients treated with dopamine agonists for prolactinomas.Design: Cross-sectional study.Patients: We performed conventional two-dimensional and Doppler echocar...

History: A 63 year old female presented with nausea, vomiting and loss of balance. She had no other symptoms. An MRI of the brain revealed a large incidental pituitary lesion occupying both the sella and suprasellar region, causing distortion of the optic chiasm and tracts. She had no headache, visual disturbance, tiredness, thirst or daytime frequency although she had long standing nocturia.Examination: Visual fields showed mild bitemporal desaturation ...

Introduction: Dopamine Agonists are important in the management of endocrine disorders such as acromegaly and hyperprolactinaemia. Recent studies have shown that Cabergoline used in high doses to treat Parkinson’s disease is associated with cardiac valve fibrosis.Methods: We identified patients on long term high-dose cabergoline for the management of acromegaly. The following data was analysed: demographic data, duration of treatment, cumulative dos...

The main pathological finding in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra (SNc). Current dopamine-replacement therapies alleviate symptoms but do not prevent disease progression. The pathophysiology of PD is unknown, but oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have been implicated. A better understanding of the cause of dopaminergic cell death may lead to the discovery of new therapies that can slow disease progression.<p class...