ESPE Abstracts

Background: Craniopharyngioma is a non-malignant embryonic tumour in the pituitary-hypothalamic area, associated with hypothalamic obesity. Dysfunctional parasympathetic nervous system activity has been proposed as one mechanism underlying alterations in energy metabolism. Arterial spin labelling (ASL) is a non-invasive MRI technique that quantifies brain tissue perfusion as a proxy for functional activity. Here, we measure cerebral perfusion in patients with ...

Background: Silver Russell syndrome (SRS) is genetically heterogenous and around 30% of patients with clinical SRS have no genetic diagnosis. Mutations in HMGA2 have recently been identified causing growth failure and an SRS-like phenotype. Despite strong evidence of the crucial role of HMGA2 in growth across species, the mechanism of action of HMGA2 in human linear growth is unclear.Objective:...

Background: Growth-and-differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) is a regulator of energy homeostasis, and is used as biomarker of several pathological states.Objectives: To assess longitudinally GDF15 concentrations in a cohort of infants born either appropriate- (AGA, n=70) or small-for-gestational-age (SGA, n=33), the latter known to be at increased risk for central adiposity and metabolic alteration...

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an emerging disease in the pediatric population. The mechanisms responsible for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in these patients are incompletely understood. Low serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels are associated with increased histologic severity of NAFLD. Growing evidence suggests that growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 may have r...

Objectives: The homozygous GHR pseudoexon (6ψ) mutation leads to aberrant splicing of the GHR gene with clinical and biochemical heterogeneity. We investigated whether the phenotypic variability could be explained by transcript heterogeneity i.e. ratio of abnormal (6ψ GHR) to normal (WT GHR) transcripts and/or the presence of concurrent defects in other short stature (SS) genes.Methods: 6&#968...

Objective: Recent studies have suggested earlier onset of pubertal development in boys. As assessment with orchidometer tends to overestimate true testicular volume (TV), and measurements based on ultrasound (US) have been proposed as a more reliable method, we present US based references in 6-16 year-old Norwegian boys. Our results are compared with data from Europe and the United States (U.S.) in order to establish evidence for an ongoing secular trend in ma...

Introduction: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS) is a rare disease with dominant inheritance characterized by benign (hamartoma) and malignant tumors (breast, endometrium, thyroid). Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) gene are responsible for the etiology.Objective: In this case report, we present an 11-year-old male who was being monitored due to follicular thyroid cancer, an...

Background: Using ultrasound to examine the glandular breast tissue is a promising method for staging pubertal breast development. However, breast ultrasound for this purpose has not been explored in a large sample of healthy girls in different developmental stages, and normative data have been unavailable.Objective: To present novel pubertal references for breast ultrasound stages, Tanner breast (B) and pubic hair (PH) ...

Introduction: Male puberty is initiated by endocrine signaling in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis whereby follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) enable testicular maturation and synthesis of testosterone. Recent publications have eluded to overnutrition and obesity as relevant factors that may accelerate the timing of puberty. Attainment of testicular volume (TV) 4 ml measured by Prader orchidometer remains the definition of male puber...

Introduction: An activating mutations in the ABCC8 gene cause both transient and permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (DM) or MODY 12. In relation to the variant in the ABCC8 gene, patients may also present with either neonatal hyperinsulinism and/or DM later in life. Besides, the same variant can cause different phenotypic features among family members. Response to the sulfonylurea treatment may vary between patients.<...