ESPE Abstracts

Achondroplasia is a rare genetic condition caused by a recurrent pathogenetic variant in the FGFR3 gene resulting in short limb skeletal dysplasia. Due to the wide-ranging anomalies associated with achondroplasia (both peculiar clinical features and complications), a multidisciplinary team is often required for ongoing care, although the nature of specialists involved differs among countries. Despite a European consensus on principles for the management of achondropla...

Background: Since COVID-19 the number of girls referred to pediatric endocrinologist for suspected precocious puberty (PP) and early puberty (EP) has increased. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence, the anthropometric, biochemical and radiological characteristics of PP during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to previous years.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 464 females (F) referred t...

Background and Aim: Multifaceted risk factors impair bone mass (BM) in childhood brain cancer survivors(CBCS). Aims of the study were to evaluate bone mass and it's determinant and fracture prevalence in CBCS 2(G+2), 5(G+5) or 7(G+7) years after off therapy (OT).Methods: Seventy-three(G+2), 87(G+5) and 66(G+7)CBCS were evaluated at 12,9±4,2, 14,9±4,4 and 16,6±4,4yrs, respectivel...

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is an epigenetic disorder characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation and typical dysmorphic features. The most common genetic abnormalities are 11p15 ICR1 loss of methylation, (11p15 LOM) and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (mUPD7). There is little information on cognitive development in SRS patients and no neuroradiological studies are available so far. Global developmental delay and requirement for speech t...

Background: Autosomal dominant neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (adNDI) is characterized by arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency resulting from mutations in the AVP-NPII genePatients and Methods: We analyzed AVP-NPII gene in 13 kindreds with familial NDIAim: To describe the clinical and molecular features of Italian kindreds with adNDIResults</str...

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is defined as the secondary sexual characteristics onset before 8 years of age in females and before 9 in males, due to premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The underlying cause remains idiopathic in the great majority; based on the 2009 Consensus, 2% to 7% of girls who have onset of CPP between the ages of 6 and 8 years have unsuspected pathology and only 1% have a tumor such...

Objectives: To assess the long-term impact of prematurity on bone and body composition by using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).Methods: DXA scans were performed in 100 preterm (PT) (n=42F, n=58M, mean weeks’gestation 31.5±2.6; range 26−36) and 51 born at term (BT) healthy infants (n=28F, n=23M). DXA measures of total body and lumbar spine mineral density (TB/L1-L4 BMD, g/cm2 and Z...

Introduction: The diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is currently based on clinical, auxological, biochemical, and neuro-radiological investigation. Provocative tests of GH secretion using physiological/pharmacological stimuli are required to confirm GHD. The clonidine test (CT) is widely used to assess GH secretory status. In this retrospective study we analyzed the reliability of CT and the effect of puberty in a large number of children with short stature who had ...

Background: ROHHADNET syndrome affects children with normal development until 2–4 years of age.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of this study was to evaluate a possible role of autoimmunity in this disorder. In spite of a suspicion for genetic etiology, disease-associated genetic variations have not been identified. A paraneoplastic/autoimmune etiology has been suggested mainly because of the association with neural crest tumors....

Background: ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation) syndrome is a rare and underdiagnosed disease with high mortality rate. When a neural crest tumor (NET) is detected (56% of patients) the acronym used is ROHHADNET.Aim: To analyze the relationship between clinical variables, hypothalamic-pituitary disorders, DXA parameters and neural tumors, in ROHHADNET patie...