ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Treatment with recombinant growth hormone (rGH) is safe and has greatly improved the approach of children and adolescents with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and other growth disorders. Some studies show that most of the height gain associated with GH treatment occurs in prepubertal years. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of age at start of the treatment on final height in children with isolated or GHD in a Portuguese cohort.<p class="abstext"...

Introduction: In hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism, impaired parathyroid hormone (PTH) function leads to hypocalcaemia, often presenting in children with acute symptoms such as tetany, seizures, hyperreflexia. High-dose calcium supplementation is usually necessary. However, beyond severe symptoms relief, the primary goal of treatment should be to maintain serum calcium levels in the lower quartile of normal range, in order to prevent nephrocalcin...

Introduction: Pediatric obesity is an important public health problem. Exogenous obesity represents most cases; in some children, obesity is attributable to endocrine or genetic disorders. Genetic etiology should be considered in children with dysmorphic features, global developmental delay, early onset severe obesity (before 5 years), hyperphagia or severe obesity family history. Regardless of the etiology, treatment must begin with long-term lifestyle change...

Background: Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is due to the failure of gonadotrofin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion which impairs the physiological initiation of puberty. About 30 to 50% of IHH is associated to hereditary causes and about 50 mutated genes have been identified.Objective and methods: We present three intra-familial cases of normosmic IHH (nIHH) related to a new association of two hetero...

Background: Several studies have suggested that vitamin D supplementation in early childhood is successful in decreasing the risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) through a complex immunomodulatory role. However, Intervening in disease once clinical symptoms have appeared and autoreactive immune responses are active might be more challenging. Controlled trials with vitamin D supplementation in recent-onset T1D have shown mixed results.Objective and hypotheses: T...

Background: Testicular tumours are an unusual cause of prepubertal gynecomastia. However, in boys with Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS), a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutation in LKB1/STK11 gene, is mandatory to exclude this etiology, given the well-known association between PJS and Large-Cell Calcyfing Sertoli-Cell Tumor (LCCSCT). This mutation promotes aromatase overexpression in neoplastic Sertoli-cells, leading to gynecomastia.Case present...

Introduction: CHARGE syndrome is a rare constellation of congenital malformations caused by mutations in CHD7 gene. The acronym stands for coloboma, heart defect, choanal atresia, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, ear abnormalities, and/or hearing loss. Endocrine disorders associated with this syndrome include hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, ...

Precocious Puberty is defined by the onset of pubertal development at an age 2-2,5 standard deviations earlier than the normal population. Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) is diagnosed when the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is activated. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (Gn-RH analogues) are the main treatment option, but sometimes controversial. Whether this treatment influences children's body mass index (BMI) and a different BMI progression is still unclear.<p...

Background: Neonatal diabetes (ND) is a rare condition (1:160.000-260.000 live births) associated with diabetes onset within the first 6 months of life. It can be permanent (PNDM) or transient (TNDM), and several genes can be implicated in both, namely KCNJ11. Clinical phenotypes usually correlate to the causal gene. KCNJ11 mutations are usually associated with PNDM whilst the most frequent cause of TNDM is disordered imprinting in the 6q24 locus.Objecti...

Objective: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a common condition in pediatric endocrinology practice. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) treatment is safe, but the real effect on final height and the ideal timing for treatment remains controversial. The purpose of the authors was to evaluate a nationwide representative group of CPP Portuguese girls treated with GnRHa, assess the effectiveness of treatment and the growth outcome before and after 8...