ESPE Abstracts

Background: There is evidence that baseline and peak cortisol response to the low dose short Synacthen test (LDSST) varies with pubertal status and gender in children with asthma on inhaled corticosteroids. There are no published data reporting effects of puberty on cortisol response to the insulin tolerance test (ITT) in childhood and adolescence.Objective and hypotheses: To determine whether pubertal status, age or gender influence basal and peak corti...

Background: Postoperative effect of music listening has not been established in pediatric age.Objective and hypotheses: The purpose of this study is to better understand the benefits of music on postoperative distress and pain in Pediatric Day Care Surgery.Methods: Forty-two children admitted for minor or intermediate surgery, were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to the ‘music-group’ (music interve...

Objective: To characterise clinical presentation of congenital isolated ACTH deficiency.Methods and results: Clinical and anthropometric data were obtained. Biochemical liver function parameters, blood glucose, insulin, TSH, free thyroxin (FT4), GH, cortisol, and ACTH levels were analyzed. POMC and TBX19 genes were analysed by Sanger sequencing. The girl was born at full-term with normal weight and length. The parents are cousins. At birth cra...

Introduction: Xanthogranulomatous hypophysitis (XGH) is a very rare form of pituitary hypophysitis that may present both clinically and radiologically as a neoplastic lesion or craniopharyngioma. Our case series compares the paediatric and adult presentations of XGH and the differential diagnoses considered.Case series: Patient 1: A 15-year-old female presented with refractory headache, lethargy, short stature, delayed growth (weight (−3.3...

Background: Diencephalic syndrome (DS), diencephalic cachexia or Russell syndrome, is a rare, rapidly fatal condition, usually occurring during the first year of life, as a result of a hypothalamic dysfunction due to hypothalamic/chiasmatic tumors. Clinical features of DS are weight loss leading to cachexia despite a normal caloric intake and growth rate, hyperalertness, hyperkinesis, and euphoria. Treatment is related to treatment of the hypothalamic lesion. The role of cytok...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in childhood may present with either euthyroidism (52.1% of cases), or primary overt hypothyroidism (22.2%), subclinical hypothyroidism (19.2%), overt hyperthyroidism (3.5%), or subclinical hyperthyroidism (3%). In a large series of 608 children and adolescents with presenting HT, we found in no cases a biochemical picture with low free thyroxine (FT4) and normal or low-normal TSH serum levels, i.e. a thyroid pattern tha...

Background: Patients who present with clinical and laboratory findings of pituitary dysfunction and whose MRI findings reveal increased pituitary size or thickening of pituitary stalk, pose a diagnostic challenge. The differential diagnosis mainly includes dysgerminoma, histiocytosis, and hypophysitis. A non-invasive approach is often non-diagnostic.Objective and hypotheses: To present two patients with similar clinical picture and positive MRI findings,...

Background: Combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) is a condition that causes deficiency of several hormones produced by the pituitary gland. The first signs of this condition include a failure to grow at the expected rate and short stature that usually becomes apparent in early childhood. Other features of CPHD include hypothyroidism, delayed puberty, and deficiency of the hormonal cortisol. Some conditions may exacerbate the growth failure of CPHD. Osteogenesis imperfe...

Background: Prolactinomas are relatively rare during childhood, with an incidence of 0.1 per million. Children with hyperprolactinaemia have widely varied presentations depending on age, sex, and tumour size. Whilst adults typically present with galactorrhoea or hypogonadism, children tend to present with pubertal delay and growth issues.Objective and hypotheses: Poorer surgical outcomes have been reported in children with macroprolactinomas compared to ...

Background: Xhantogranuloma of the sellar region (XG) is a very rare brain tumor and is clinically and pathologically distinct from classical adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, but the differential diagnosis is difficult because there are no typical neuroradiological signes. The characteristic and the outcome of XG in children remain still unclear.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to describe a case report of XG and multiple pituitary hormone deficienc...

Introduction: Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a condition in which large volumes of diluted urine are excreted due to vasopressin deficiency. In most patients, DI is caused by the destruction of neurons in the hypothalamus and the known causes include local inflammation or autoimmune aggression, vascular and infiltrative diseases, as well as compressive masses, trauma or midline cranial malformations. CDI caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a very rare condition.<...

Background: Diabetes insipidus (DI) is characterised clinically by the inappropriate production of large volumes of dilute urine even in the presence of clinical dehydration or deprivation of water. DI occurs either due to a deficiency or insufficiency of arginine vasopressin (AVP) hormone production. Hereditary DI accounts for <10% of the DI cases. As hyponatraemic seizures secondary to inappropriate use of desmopressin can occur, caution is required before a diagnosis of...