ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Transient congenital hypothyroidism (TCH) refers to a temporary deficiency of thyroid hormone identified after birth, with low thyroxine (T4) and elevated thyrotropin (TSH). Approximately 17%-40% of children diagnosed with CH by newborn screening (NBS), have transient hypothyroidism. Levo-thyroxine (L-T4) early treatment is recommended at the dose 10-15 µg/kg/day. Children with thyroid gland in situ should be re-evaluated after the ...

We present a monocentric cross-sectional study of 55 children referred between 2000 and 2020 for pituitary lesions, who underwent a complete pituitary function assessment. These data were compared to results obtained in a group of 295 adults carrying pituitary lesions undergoing a complete pituitary screening. Follow-up data was available for 50 children and 248 adults. The mean age at diagnosis in children was 12.2±3.7 years (range 2.1-17.9), while in adults was 48.7&#17...

Background: Pubertal induction in girls with hypogonadism through estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) aims at the development of secondary sexual characteristics, cognitive functions, uterine growth and maturation, bone mass accrual and linear growth. To date, the best induction regimen, capable of assuring both physiological gradual progression through Tanner stages and effective uterine development, is still to be established.Patients a...

Background: Neonatal screening strategies revealed an increase in hypothyroidism associated with an in-situ thyroid gland due to TSH receptor (TSHR) mutations. While there are many genetic and functional studies regarding TSHR mutations, few are found concerning the clinical course and long-term outcome of TSH resistance involving the pediatric population.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the impact of TSHR mutations on clinical course, biochemical ...

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a heterogeneous disorder. While the great majority of cases are considered sporadic, the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) may bring significant advances in elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms.Case presentation: We selected a family with three children affected by CH with gland in situ and diagnosed at neonatal screening: the index patient, his sister and his brother. Data at diagno...

We present the case of a five-day female admitted to our Paediatric Unit due to TSH elevation (bTSH 303 mIU/L) on routine neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism (CH). The patient was born at 38 weeks’ gestation by c-section presenting with adequate auxological parameters. Her mother suffered from Hashimoto’s disease, already diagnosed before pregnancy, and requiring Levo-thyroxine therapy (L-T4). Blood tests performed at five days of life revealed the pre...

Introduction: Familial non-autoimmune autosomal dominant hyperthyroidism (FNAH) is a rare cause of childhood hyperthyroidism caused by an activating variant of the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene. This disorder may occur as a result of an autosomal dominant inheritance or sporadically through de novo variation. The severity of hyperthyroid symptoms is variable and phenotype differences have been described in subjects harbouring the same mutati...

Introduction: Peripubertal children with delayed puberty frequently display a poor growth rate prompting endocrine work-up. Whether priming with sex steroids should routinely be performed in these patients to improve specificity of growth hormone stimulation tests (GHST) is unclear. Treatment with sex steroids in constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) is also debated.Patients and Methods: This multicenter retr...

Introduction: The underlying genetic causes of congenital hypothyroidism with gland in-situ (CH GIS) and hyperthyrotropinemia (HT) remain largely a mystery. Thanks to NGS, genetic screening is now finding many novel variants. The challenge is to correctly identify which genes and which variants lead to CH and which cause only a transient HT.Objectives: Our objectives were to evaluate the presence of variants in 14 candid...

Background: Over the years special screening procedures for preterm and twin babies (re-screening at 2–4 weeks of life) have been adopted by many screening laboratories worldwide. However, no extensive studies have been performed to verify how many co-twins with negative test at first screening (3–5 days) become positive at re-screening, and the utility of a long-term follow-up also in co-twin with negative test at screening and re-screening.Ob...