ESPE Abstracts

The LMNA gene encodes lamin A/C, intermediate filament proteins associated with the inner nuclear membrane. Mutations in LMNA gene cause a wide range of human diseases sometimes called ‘laminopathies’ that affect different organ systems depending upon the mutation. Most laminopathies involve tissue of mesenchymal origins, resulting in such features as cardiac disorders and/or muscular dystrophy, lipodystrophy or progeroid syndromes. The group of progeroid syndromes i...

Temple syndrome is due to loss of methylation in the imprinted locus 14q32 and is characterised by low birth weight, hypotonia, short stature, early puberty. Adult height is approx -2.0SD. Other features are small hands and feet, premature birth, feeding difficulties, delayed milestones, mild learning difficulty, variable obesity. We report monozygotic twins diagnosed with Temple syndrome aged 13 yr. Twin 1 received GH for SGA and short stature from age 9.5yrs when his height ...

Background and Aims: Retesting subjects treated with GH throughout childhood at attainment of final height is of importance to identify those having pGHD and needing replacement treatment during transition years and adulthood, and to avoid overtreatment of GH sufficient subjects. This study aimed at evaluating the clinical and biochemical features of patients diagnosed of isolated idiopathic (II) GHD in childhood at retesting to verify the prevalence of perman...

MOPD is known to be caused by homozygous loss-of-function mutations in a specific gene, PCNT. Both intra- and interfamilial clinical variability (even for the same variant) have been frequently observed, which makes it difficult to infer a genotype–phenotype correlation. Pericentrin (PCTN) is a structural protein expressed in the centrosome that plays a fundamental role in anchoring protein complexes, regulating mitotic cycle and thus cell proliferation. High levels of m...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in Central Precocious Puberty(CPP) has been observed worldwide. The reasons for this phenomenon are yet unclear. In order to evaluate if fear, stress and coping strategies used by children and parents when dealing with negative emotional situations and health issues might have acted as triggers for this phenomenon, we administered specific questionnaires to girls who had a diagnosis of CPP before and after the COVID-19 relat...

Background: Lipodystrophy syndromes comprise a large group of extremely rare diseases characterized by loss or dysfunction of adipose tissue. Due to their extreme rarity and variability, research in the field of lipodystrophy is difficult for single centres warranting larger co-operations.Methods: Therefore, the European Consortium of Lipodystrophies decided to found an international registry in 2016. This registry is ba...

Introduction: Despite the high detection rate of GNAS molecular defects, about 30% of patients with a clinical suspect of PHP/AHO still lack a confirming molecular diagnosis. Mutations in genes encoding proteins crucial for cAMP-mediated signaling have been recently detected in a small subset of patients negative for GNAS defects, showing a phenotypic overlap between PHP and Acrodysostosis.Clinical case pres...

Background: The annual worldwide incidence of childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACT) ranges from 0.3 to 0.38/million children below the age of 15 years. Only 1–2% of them are feminizing ACT occurring in prepubertal boys and presenting with gynecomastia that normalizes after tumor removal.Case report: We present a case of a feminizing ACT. The boy was referred for bilateral gynecomastia, appeared 6 months before, at the chronological age (CA) of 7.5 y...

Background: Klippel–Feil syndrome (KFS) is characterized by congenital fusion of cervical vertebrae and has a prevalence of 1:50 000. The phenotypic expression is variable, sometimes presenting with extraskeletal symptoms.Case report: A girl was referred at the cronological age (CA) of 10.3 years with a suspected diagnosis of Turner syndrome, due to the presence of webbed neck and progressive deceleration of growth velocity. The girl, born in Russia...

Introduction: Term newborns Small for Gestational Age (SGA) have an increased risk for minor neurological impairment at pre- and school age. The general movements (GMs) assessment, in particular at Fidgety (F+) age, has been increasingly used to predict neurological dysfunctions. Aim of our study was to evaluate, in a population of term newborn SGA (gestational age >37 weeks) the growth recovery, the presence of F+ at 3 months of age, and the neurological outcome at 2 year...