ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Limited, small-scale studies have revealed that men with proximal hypospadias (HS) or with other signs of undermasculinisation (i.e. complex HS) are at risk of reduced fertility and/or impaired testicular hormone synthesis. However, the extent of this phenomenon and if milder forms of isolated HS are also affected, remains unclear.Aims: To explore reproductive hormones and semen quality of young men (16-21 ...

Background: While many causes of 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) have been elucidated, the mechanisms leading to 46,XX testicular or ovotesticular DSD are poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that both conditions may represent a phenotypic spectrum and that they might be caused by (different) mutations in the same genes.Methods: Whole exome sequencing was used to identify the molecular cause in ten unrelated patients with 46,XX (ovo)testi...

Background: Adolescence is often a period of worse metabolic control and less wellbeing in diabetic children. We studied global (GW) and diabetic-related (DRW) wellbeing in diabetic adolescents and the influence of sex, age, ethnic origin, family composition (single- or two-parent family), family income and metabolic control.Method: 133 (71 girls, 120 autochthonous, 20 treated with CSII, 107 from a two-parent family, 68 from families with a monthly incom...

Background: Extensive and time-consuming hormonal and genetic work-up provides a genetic diagnosis in around 20% of 46,XY cases with ambiguous genitalia. It is currently unclear if such extensive screening might also be indicated in 46,XY newborns with milder undervirilization.Method: All 46,XY neonates and infants (n=32, EMS 2–12) referred to our pediatric endocrine service for atypical male genitalia in the period 2007–2013 were inve...

Background: Despite the fact that pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a frequent finding in children with combined GH deficiency (CGHD), clinical data are still limited and the growth response to GH treatment has not been evaluated in comparison with CGDH with a normal stalk.Objective and hypotheses: To report the clinical and hormonal findings and evaluate the short term growth response to GH in Belgian children with congenital non-syndromat...

Background: Access to transgender healthcare for adolescents varies largely across Europe (and beyond), depending on the regulations and healthcare system of the country where they live. In some countries, obtaining transgender healthcare can be almost impossible. Specifically, the age at which puberty suppression (PS) and subsequent gender-affirming hormones (GAH) are offered can vary widely. Medical treatment for adolescents with gender incongruence (GI) is ...

Background and Aim: A substantial proportion of SGA patients have a syndrome underlying their growth restriction. Most SGA cohorts comprise both syndromic (S-SGA) and non-syndromic patients (nonS-SGA) impeding delineation of the recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) response. We present a detailed characterization of the Belgian SGA cohort and analyze rhGH response based on adult height (AH).Patients & Methods: Cli...

Background: Reaching a definitive diagnosis in individuals with XY DSD is challenging and the time taken to reach a diagnosis is an important clinical benchmark that has not been sufficiently explored in this group of conditions.Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic process with a focus on the time to diagnosis in children with XY DSD reported via the e-reporting platform (e-REC) of the European Registries for Rare Endoc...

Background: A combination of GH and a gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRH a) is hypothesized to improve adult height in children with a poor adult height prediction.Study design: In this multicenter study, 24 girls in early puberty (bone age ≤12.0 y),with a predicted adult height ≤151.0 cm and normal body proportions were treated with GH (Zomacton) 50 μg/kg per day and triptorelin (Gonapeptyl) 3.75 mg/month SC or IM (for 4 year...

Background: In a large fraction of patients with clinically presumed Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, no mutation of the Androgen Receptor gene can be detected. However, established Sanger sequencing techniques of the AR gene are often limited to the coding region.Objective and Hypotheses: To set up a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach of the entire AR locus (including UTRs, exons, introns, up- and downstream regions) for a comprehensive ...