ESPE Abstracts

Background: Actual surgical procedures for the treatment of patients with VSD (Variation of Sex Development), in particular severe hypospadias, are associated with frequent post-operative complications.Objective and hypotheses: Tissue engineered collagen tubes are a promising alternative.Method: We elaborated a new, two layered, collagen based tube that can be sutured. Mechanical testing proved a better resistance of those tubes co...

Background: Prenatal androgen exposure can lead to variable virilization of external female genitalia. The lack of a consensus definition of clitoromegaly and the limited data available on normal steroid levels in female neonates makes its diagnosis difficult.Objective and hypotheses: The aims of this study were (i) to define reference sizes for external female genitalia in term and preterm neonates as a function of gestational age and birth weight; and ...

Background: Serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an important analyte for the clinical assessment of disorders of sex development. It is also reportedly a difficult analyte to measure. Currently there are significant gaps in the standardisation of this analyte, including no external quality assurance (EQA) program available worldwide to allow for peer performance review of DHT.Objective and hypotheses: We therefore proposed to establish an EQA program for ...

Background: 46,XX DSD (Disorder of Sex Development) includes individuals with ovotestes (ovotesticular DSD (OTDSD)) or testes (testicular DSD (TDSD)). Most individuals with 46,XX TDSD carry the SRY gene. Other known causes of TDSD/OTDSD include chromosomal rearrangements involving SOX9 or SOX3 and mutations of WNT4 and a WNT regulator, R-SPONDIN 1. However, our understanding of the molecular causes of TDSD and OTDSD remain incomplete.<p ...

Background: Bone marrow transplantation (BMTx) involves pre-conditioning regimens that compromise fertility Delayed puberty and hypogonadism are common in children with beta thalassemia major, due to chronic disease and transfusion requirements, due to iron overload in endocrine glands.Objective and hypotheses: Pubertal induction using hCG and FSH prior to gonadotoxic conditioning before BMTx should result in spermatogenesis sufficient to store sperm. We...

Background: Fertility Preservation (FP) in children and adolescents poses unique challenges as efficacy is unproven.Objective and hypotheses: To describe characteristics and evidence for potential fertility in ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation specimens (OTCP and TTCP respectively) taken from paediatric and adolescent patients, stratified by age, and prior chemotherapy.Method: Retrospective review of gonadal biopsies a...

Background: Despite advances in genetic diagnosis and surgical technique, and guidance from the Consensus Statement on Intersex Disorders, aspects of clinical management in disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) remain unsettled. Actively debated decision points include gender of rearing in specific syndromes, genital surgery prior to the patient developing the capacity to provide assent, and uncertainty over how and when to best educate young patients about diagnostic...

Background: Premature adrenarche (PA) has been considered a benign condition. Recently, associations with increase androgen levels and PCOS have arisen.Objective: To determine whether PA in children at pubertal onset (TII) determines a different timing of pubertal events and a different pattern of ovarian and adrenal hormones.Methods: A total of 583 girls from the longitudinal cohort (Growth and Obesity Cohort Study, born 2002) wer...