Endocrine Abstracts

Topical application of corticosteroids is frequently used in the therapy of various dermatological diseases due to their antiinflammatory and immunsuppressive effects. Systemic pharmacological levels of glucocorticoids lead, on the other hand, to Cushing syndrome, i.e. significant modifications of intermediary metabolism, body composition, bone mass, haematolymphopoietic system and, last but not least, to skin modifications: purple striae, petechiae, infections. We describe a ...

Tuberculous thyroiditis is a very rare disease. Its clinical features are non-specific in most of the cases, mimicking other thyroid diseases. Confusions most frequently made are those with thyroid cancer and toxic nodular goiter. Therefore, diagnosis often comes as a histopathological surprise, after thyroid ablation for other reasons.Thyroid tuberculosis was diagnosed histopathologically in six out of 1232 cases of thyroid surgery. Preoperatory diagnos...

Hyperthyroidism has significant impact upon both bone turnover and body composition. The present study was designed to investigate whether there is a connection between changes in body composition and bone mineral content at female patients with perturbed thyroid function. Sixty-seven long standing (over 6 months) overt hyperthyroid women had significantly lower bone mineral content as expressed by the Z score measured by quantitative ultrasonography (−0.86+/−0.69 ...

Graves’ thyrotoxicosis frequently occurs after delivery through immune rebound mechanism. A 34 years old patient, in postpartum period was referred to rheumatologist for gradually gait impairment. Examination showed only weakness of pelvic girdle muscles which required an extensive differential diagnosis including: neurological diseases and inflammatory/metabolic/toxic myopathies. Routine lab tests were unremarkable except low cholesterol (128 mg/dl) and slightly increase...

We investigated calcium and bone metabolism in a group of 123 institutionalized volunteers between 60 and 98 years old, 73 females and 50 males. 25OH-D3 was measured by an indoor RIA technique. 1.25(OH)2D3 was measured by HPLC, serum calcium by photocolorimetry, bone alkaline phosphatase by immunoenzymatic technique, whereas serum PTH and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) were measured by IRMA. Almost all volunteers (92.6%) had low 25OH-D3</...

In order to investigate the relationship between Graves’ disease, its associated ophthalmopathy and smoking, we followed retrospectively a group of 270 patients with Graves’ disease (233 females and 37 males). Smoking incidence within this group was compared to that found in a control, thyroid disease-free group of 120 patients. The incidence of smokers was significantly higher in the group with Graves’ disease (145 out of 270, 54%) when compared to the control ...

Thyroid diseases are more frequent in women. We made a longitudinal study at 112 healthy pregnant women from Iasi county, Romania. The aim of study was to determine incidence and evolution of autoimmune thyroiditis in pregnancy and postpartum. The proceedings of study imposed to verify clinical aspect of thyroid, the volume of thyroid measured echographic, echostructure of thyroid, function of thyroid (TSH, FT4) and autoimmune modification of thyroid (anti-thyroid peroxidase a...

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C has a high incidence in our country being a major public health issue.Aims and methods: To establish prognostic factors for developing thyroid dysfunction in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy. A prospective study of patients with chronic hepatitis C on antiviral therapy was undertaken. 68 patients started on antiviral therapy in the period 1st January 2003 – 1st J...

Introduction: Chronic Hepatitis C is highly prevalent in our country.Management involves combination treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Thyroid disease in affected patients can be caused by the hepatitis C virus or by the interferon therapy.Aims and method: The study aims to investigate thyroid dysfunction and optimal management strategies for patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon and r...

Gravitational stress influences bone mass. Adipose tissue represents a supplementary source of estrogens at postmenopausal women, via aromatization of androgens. We evaluated the importance of weight and fat tissue on bone mass at premenopausal or postmenopausal women in a cross-sectional study upon a group of 138 women between 25 and 77 ys old and with a BMI between 17.1 and 44.3 kg/m2. Fifty six women were menstruating, 15 were perimenopausal and 68 were po...