ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Limitations of the available imaging technique led the introduction of a new quantitative approach ultrasound-based for assessment of bone tissue in pediatric subjects. This new methodology use data from unfiltered radio frequency signals, collected during ultrasonographic acquisition of bone district of interest to estimate the bone mineral density. Advantages of this new technique include absence of radiation exposure, low cost of management an...

Calcium signaling is fundamental to many cellular processes. An important pathway for increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels is store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) regulated by stromal interaction molecule (STIM1-2), and Ca2+ channels formed by ORAI1-3 proteins. Mutations in the ORAI1 and STIM1 genes that abolish SOCE cause a combined immunodeficiency (CID) syndrome that is accompanied by autoimmunity and nonimmunologic symptoms. We present patients with Anhidrotic Ectodermal Dyspl...

Background: Specific measurement of low serum / plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2) is important in pre-pubertal and pubertal children in routine paediatric endocrinology. However, there is still a gap in available reference intervals (RIs) for E2 in paediatrics. The study was partially funded by the German Ministry of Health, grant number 2519FSB503.Objective: First, we technically developed a highly sensit...

Background/Aims: Length and weight of all children in Flanders are monitored every three years at school from the age of 3 years. The current criteria used for referral to specialized care are: height SDS < -2.5, height SDS between -2 and -2.5 SDS with a height SDS adjusted for parental height < -1.64, or a decrease in height SDS of more than 1 SDS in the past 3 years. The aim of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of the Flemish referral criter...

Family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) is the recommended intervention for children with obesity (OB). However, there is a large variability in short- and long-term treatment response and mechanisms for unsuccessful treatment outcomes are not understood. We studied brain regions involved in satiety processing in 9-11-year-old children with obesity (OB, n=54) and children with healthy weight (HW, n=22). Subjects underwent a functional magnetic resonan...

Background: Acquired Von Willebrand's syndrome (aVWS) associated with hypothyroidism is rare in children and more often diagnosed during the peripubertal period in the context of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Case presentation: A 5-year-old girl was referred to the paediatric haematology unit for rectal bleeding, anaemia, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time. Her developmental and learning skills were no...

Background/Aim: Several criteria for the first year growth response (FYGR) to growth hormone (GH) treatment have been proposed. We explored which FYGR criteria predict best the final height outcome after GH treatment in prepubertal children with GH deficiency (GHD).Methods: Height data of 129 GHD children (83 boys) treated with GH for at least 4 consecutive years with at least 1 year before pubertal onset, were retrieved...

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (ACPs) are clinically challenging tumours, the majority of which have activating mutations in CTNNB1. They are histologically complex, showing solid tumor component comprised of different morphological cell types (e.g. β-catenin accumulating cluster cells and palisading epithelium), surrounded by a florid glial reaction with immune cells, but also a cystic component. ACP cysts often exert substantial mass effect on critical str...

Background: Biallelic mutations of the CYP11B2 aldosterone synthase gene cause deficiency of aldosterone synthesis. Patients exhibit isolated deficiency of aldosterone biosynthesis, increased plasma renin activity, increased steroid precursors desoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, as well as 18-hydroxy-desoxycorticosterone, and show salt wasting and poor growth. The aldosterone synthase enzyme has 18-hydroxylase (corticosterone methyloxidase type I, CMO I) and 18-oxidase (CMO ...

Background: A one-month girl was referred to our unit for hypocalcemia. She was the first child of healthy non-consanguineous parents. Her family history was unremarkable except a miscarriage in the mother and oligoasthenospermia in the father that justified a medically assisted reproduction. She was born eutrophic at term after a pregnancy marked by a moderate gestational diabetes. On day 3, a routine neonatal screening revealed a severe asymptomatic hypocalcemia (total calci...