ESPE Abstracts

Background: AAAS is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by adrenal insufficiency, alacrimia, achalasia and neurological symptoms. The disease-causing AAAS gene encodes for the ALADIN nuclear pore protein.Case presentation: Case 1: A girl (born to unrelated parents) presented at age 3.9 years with fatigue and hyperpigmented skin. Clinical examination was normal, clumsy gait was noted. Endocrine studies confirmed adrenal insufficiency (F=9 mg/ml,...

Background: X-Linked Adrenoleucodystrophy (X-ALD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterised by impaired peroxisomal beta-oxidation of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA; ≧C22) which is reduced to about 30% of control levels. Consequently, there is an accumulation of VLCFA in plasma and tissues, including the white matter of the brain, the spinal cord and adrenal cortex. It is caused by mutation in the ABCD1 gene encoding a peroxisomal transmembrane protein (ALD...

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) occurs in approximately 1:2000–1:3000 newborns in Italy. Lowering of the TSH cut-off was the most important factor contributing to the increase of CH incidence in Italy. The aim of this study is the determination of the prevalence of CH in northwest Sicily, evaluated by the single screening centre of the Children Hospital ‘G. Di Cristina’, ARNAS, Palermo. From January 2013 to December 2017, 79.699 newborns were screened testing TSH...

Introduction: Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) is an autoinflammatory disease, characterized by the association of arthritis with fever, often accompanied by rash, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and serositis. The diagnosis requires adequate exclusion of infectious, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and oncologic diseases. These patients need to be treated with glucocorticoids plus biologic drugs, anti-IL-1 or anti-IL-6 monoclonal an...

Background: The nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is often presented as isolated premature pubarche in childhood. Definitive diagnosis is genetic.Objective and hypotheses: To describe patients diagnosed in our hospital, clinical signs and laboratory results that lead to genetic study. To analyze adult height.Method: Descriptive retrospective study of our population with genetic confirmation.Resu...

SARS-CoV- 2 pandemic induced to develop new strategies to abate the distance between patients, families and paediatricians, especially in cases of patients who need long-term therapies. Furthermore, the need to minimize the inflow of children and adolescents affected by chronic diseases into the hospitals induced paediatric endocrinologists to limit visits and to consider a new setting to assist children in treatment with growth hormone (GH). Telemedicine and smart-working cou...

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is more frequent than expected also in Western Europe, however the relieve of a ‘health’ child with rickets is uncommon in Caucasians.Objective and hypotheses: Explain clinical severity by a genetic background.Method: We describe the clinical case of a 2.5-year-old girl with skeletal deformities. She was 86.5 cm (10° Cent), 12.5 kg (3–10° Cent); PH1B1. She showed typical ...

Background: Severe short stature is considered when height falls below −4 SDS. When infants with extreme short stature are evaluated, often multidisciplinary input is required, before a formal diagnosis is met.Objective and hypotheses: We want to learn from delayed diagnosis of child with panhypopituitarism and review subsequent difficulties in starting GH treatment.Method: Retrospective review of notes, investigations and pa...

Background: Heterozygous alterations of SHOX and its regulatory region PAR1 are identified in approximately 70% of Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and 2–5% of idiopathic short stature cases. Identification of a SHOX mutation enables GH treatment to be offered to the patient.Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of seven patients with SHOX haploinsufficiency and their evolution.Method: Retrospective analysis of ...

Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) is a chronic autoinflammatory disease, with significant complications that can give short-term and long-term disability with reduced quality of life. Growth delay and short stature are described in >40% of cases, with a complex pathogenesis. Chronic inflammation, long-term corticosteroids treatment, hepatic involvement, malnutrition decrease IGF-1 and GH biological effects. Corticosteroids inhibit growth velocity, bone maturatio...