Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Gonadotroph adenomas are the most common non-functioning pituitary adenomas in adult1, 2. However, functioning gonadotrophinomas are rare. Here, we describe an unusual presentation of concurrent acromegaly and functioning FSHoma (FSH-secreting pituitary adenoma).A 39-year-old man presented with a vague visual disturbance to the optometrist and a bitemporal hemianopia was detected.Further questioning elicited ...

Male hypogonadism is characterised by sexual dysfunction, loss of muscle bulk, central obesity, fatigue, mood and sleep disturbances, osteoporosis and anaemia. Although these features are associated with low serum testosterone concentration, not all men with a low serum testosterone are definitively hypogonadal, and there is a large symptom overlap with obesity and non-endocrine illness. Importantly, testosterone replacement therapy may not be appropriate for men with mild, fu...

Ectopic ACTH secretion accounts for 11–25% of Cushing’s syndrome, most commonly resulting from small cell lung carcinoma and bronchial carcinoid tumours. Ectopic ACTH requires meticulous consideration in the differential of ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. Thymic carcinoids are a very rare cause of ectopic ACTH secretion, accounting for 5–12% of cases. A 28 year old gentleman was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome after presenting with lethargy, hyper...

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is an important treatment option for morbid obesity. The current guidelines recommend testing and supplementation of vitamin D postoperatively. The aim of our study was to assess the need for preoperative proactive supplementation of vitamin D. Methods All patients who had restrictive bariatric surgery (laparoscopic gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) between January 2010 and June 2011 were included. Data was collected retrospectively from com...

Effective research into understanding the aetiology of disorders of sex development (DSDs), as well as long-term outcome of these rare conditions, requires multicentre collaboration often across national boundaries. The EU-funded EuroDSD programme (www.eurodsd.eu) is one such collaboration involving clinical centres and clinical and genetic experts. At the heart of the EuroDSD collaboration is a DSD register that supports the sharing of DSD ...

Aims/hypothesis: Bone turnover markers mainly reflect three processes: bone remodelling, linear growth, and bone modelling. These occur at different rates depending on age. Oestradiol levels, a mediator of all processes of bone turnover, vary according to sex and age whereas, parathyroid hormone levels, an important regulator of bone remodelling, vary with age. We hypothesised that gender and age differences in the bone formation marker, serum amino terminal propeptide of type...

Aim: An increasing proportion of patients are referred to endocrine clinics for assessment of an endocrine reason for obesity. The aim of our study was to assess the hormone profiles of patients referred for bariatric surgery.Methods: Patients referred to bariatric surgery clinic were investigated for hypothyroidism (TSH, T4), Cushing’s disease (2 mg-overnight dexamethasone suppression test), acromegaly (IGF1) and Vitamin D deficiency (PT...

Continuous aerobic exercise improves glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetics (T2D), with greater improvements during exercise in hypoxia. Continuous exercise has been linked with poor adherence. Positive effects with intermittent exercise (IE) with reduced time commitments would have clear benefits. Exercise and hypoxia both increase pro-inflammatory cytokines, potentially reducing benefits of hypoxia. This study aimed to establish the effects of IE under hypoxic conditions in T...

Introduction: NICE recommends that pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes should be offered retinal assessment in the 1st and 3rd trimester by digital retinal imaging. Where retinopathy is already present, an additional assessment should be made in the 2nd trimester.Objectives: To assess the feasibility of retinal screening in pregnancy by a community based mobile retinal screening programme (MRSP).Methods: A retrospective audit...

There are very limited data on long-term mortality in pituitary ACTH dependent Cushing’s disease (CD).We report on our data from Stoke-on-Trent, UK, spanning 50 years and provide a meta-analysis of six other reports which addressed mortality of CD. Case records of 60 CD patients from 1958-31 Dec 2009 from Stoke-on-Trent were reviewed. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) overall and separately for patients in remission and having persistent diseas...