ESPE Abstracts

As in previous years, most of the studies concern the medium and long-term complications of cancer therapy. Issues related to long-term surveillance strategies represent an emerging topic of discussion. In comparison with previous years, this year we have found few truly original and innovative studies. Rather, the attention of the researchers seems to be focused on confirming and consolidating acquired data, in particular: - The development of subsequent neoplasms in childhoo...

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is also known as autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED). Clinical manifestations are widely variable. It is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by the triad hypoparathyroidism, Addison disease, and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. However, several other autoimmune disorders, not necessarily endocrinological, differing in number and severity, may be present. APS1 is mostly caused by mut...

Case report: A 10-year-old Italian girl presented with a painless, hard swelling in left fronto-orbital region noted two years earlier. She had no headache or other symptoms; ophthalmologic evaluation revealed no signs of intracranial hypertension; the visual field showed a reduced level of sensitivity in the upper sector of the left eye.Her previous medical history was not relevant except for a mild head injury reported two years earlier. The girl was a secon...

Background: Increasing incidence of pediatric obesity has been observed worldwide. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and impaired glucose metabolism, is associated with obesity.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate early ocular signs of hypertension by retinography in a cohort of overweight (BMI>85th)/obese (BMI>95th) children, in order to define the prevalence of retinal alterations and characteriz...

Background: The use of international or local growth charts for the definition of pediatric obesity is still debated. Inappropriate reference standards may lead to under/over-estimation of the prevalence and consequently of the number of patients to be included in diagnostic work-up.Objective and hypotheses: To define the differences between patients considered obese according to either CDC or Italian growth charts.Method: A single...

Background: Genes in the HLA region confer about 50% of the genetic risk of type 1 diabetes (T1DM). More than 40 different genes give a minor contribution to T1DM risk, some of them are related to the immune function.Case presentation: A girl was referred at the age of 9 months with severe ketoacidosis in T1DM at onset. Anti-insulin autoantibodies were positive. She was the only daughter of unrelated Caucasian parents, born at term by vaginal delivery. T...

Background: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder consisting in a variable number of additional X chromosomes in a male individual. KS patients can rarely develop peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) caused by extragonadal germ cell cancers (eGCCs) producing hormones with androgenic activity. KS patients are at higher risk for eGCC when compared to the healthy populationCase report: We report the case of M., a 8...

Background: Children born SGA are at risk of becoming short adults. Although most children born SGA show catch-up growth in the first 24 months of life, approximately 10% remain below the 3rd centile throughout childhood and adolescence. The available evidence shows that GH therapy can increase adult height in short children born SGA although long-term response is variable and closely related to the 1st year response.Aims:</stron...

Background: Multiple factors may affect intrauterine growth leading to birth of children small for gestational age (SGA). The impact of subtle genetic alterations on both pre and post-natal growth is still largely unknown.Objective and Hypotheses: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CNVs in a cohort of SGA children with persistent short stature.Subjects and Methods</s...

Background: The Wilms tumor suppressor gene 1 (WT1) is essential for kidney and gonadal development. WT1 gene mutations are associated with two syndromes called Denys-Drash (DDS) and Frasier (FS) that clinically overlap and differ in the type of mutation and in the age at nephropathy onset. In 46,XY subjects WT1 mutations are associated with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (NS), Wilms tumor, disorder of sex development (DSD) with dysgenetic gonads and gonadoblastoma risk....