ESPE Abstracts

At present no European recommendations for the management of pediatric thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) exist. Differences in clinical, molecular, and pathological characteristics between pediatric and adult DTC emphasize the need for specific recommendations for the pediatric population. An expert panel was instituted by the executive committee of the European Thyroid Association (ETA) including an international community of experts from a variety of...

Introduction: Type 1 Arnold Chiari syndrome (extension of cerebellar tonsils into the foramen magnum without involving the brain stem) causes ataxia, dysphagia, headache, breathing problems… So far, an association between Arnold Chiari and autoimmune diseases has not yet been described in literature.Case 1 description: M.V., on term third born, spontaneous delivery, non complicated pregnancy, normal physical and psychological development stages. He...

Background: Arnold-Chiari malformations (CM), types I-IV, refer to a spectrum of congenital hindbrain maldevelopments characterized by downward herniation of the cerebellar tonsils. CM-I is defined as tonsillar herniation of 3–5 mm below the foramen magnum and is the most common and the least severe of the spectrum.Objective and hypotheses: Children with CM-I usually are asymptomatic and often diagnosed in adulthood, therefore early presentation of ...

Introduction: Klippel-Feil Syndrome (KFS), prevalence of 1:40000, is characterized by congenital fusion of cervical vertebrae; three major features are short neck, low hairline at the back of the head and a limited range of motion in the neck. The phenotypic expression is variable, presenting with other vertebral abnormalities (congenital high scapula, scoliosis, kyphosis, spina bifida, hemivertebrae) or extra skeletal symptoms such us deafness, renal, heart or neurological ab...

Pediatric diabetes management extends beyond glycemic control. A gap between guidelines and actual care exists. Standardized performance measures represent a key strategy to improve quality of care. In Italy, a non-profit initiative of continuous monitoring and quality improvement of diabetes care is in place since 2018, promoted by the ISPEDCARD association and involving the Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and diabetology (ISPED). Aim of the present work is to report the ...

Background: Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) comprises a cluster of genetic disorders characterized by blistering of skin and mucosae following minimal mechanical traumas. Severely affected individuals have high risk of extracutaneous complications, including chronic undernourishment and low bone mass.Objective and hypotheses: The aims of this study were to assess the areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and vitamin D status of children and adolescents ...

Introduction: The association between ATD and AIG is very poorly characterized in pediatric age. We review the prevalence of the anti-gastric parietal cells antibodies (APCA) in young patients with ATD and we evaluated the development of AIG during follow-up, in order to define the usefulness of these markers for AIG screening in these patients.Patients and Methods: We evaluated 220 children and adolescents (11.28 ±...

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at increased risk of developing secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN). Radiotherapy is one of the main risk factors, and secondary thyroid cancers (STC) are likely to occur among irradiated CCS.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate frequency, characteristics, and of STC in the cohort of CCS treated and in follow-up at the Istituto Giannina Gaslini.Method: Survivors treated between 1975...

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: An association between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and idiopathic generalized epilepsy is reported. Some authors suggest an autoimmune mechanism mediated by antibodies to glutamic-acid-decarboxylase (GAD), that is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter GABA. Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare, severe epilepsy disorder characterized by febrile hemiclonic seizures or generalized status epilepticus starting at 6 months of age. In classical DS, a d...