ESPE Abstracts

Background: Adrenocortical tumors in childhood represent very rare about 0.2% of all pediatric malignancies. Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is characterized by clinical features caused by autonomous excessive glucocorticoid production from adrenal cortex. In ACTH-independent CS, the most common cause is unilateral cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenoma.Objective and hypotheses: Fifteen months old girl was admitted with gradually gain weight, pubarche, a...

Background: The age at weaning programs life history adaptively. Shorter infancy resulted in longer/thinner animals with a reproductive-strategic shift to earlier physical and sexual development (BMC Med, 2013).Hypotheses: The length of infancy impacts also the stress-response and has behavioural consequences.Method: Sprague-Dawley pups (generation F1), which usually are weaned at age 21 days, were weaned by cross-fostering at age ...

Background: Steroids are found in human blood predominantly as sulfated steroids. Conjugation of steroids increases their solubility in blood, facilitating their physiological regulation and excretion. Chromatographic separation and quantification of an extensive number of sulfated steroids is challenging. For instance, androgen sulfates are structurally related and their signals are very similar in mass spectrometry.Objective and hypotheses: Some of the...

Introduction: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS) is a rare disease with dominant inheritance characterized by benign (hamartoma) and malignant tumors (breast, endometrium, thyroid). Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) gene are responsible for the etiology.Objective: In this case report, we present an 11-year-old male who was being monitored due to follicular thyroid cancer, an...

Background: Cushing's syndrome (CS) is very rare in children and the most common cause is the high doses of glucocorticoids (GC) administered. It is well known that application of potent GCs cause iatrogenic CS (ICS) due to suppressing hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal (HPA) axis and later even adrenal insufficiency (AI). Other side effects of GCs are also seen in these patients.Objective: The aim of this study is to r...

Background: Endogenous Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) is a rare disease in children, and corticotropin-independent forms are even scarcer. In childhood it carries a significant burden, resulting from both prolonged hypercortisolism long-term effects and treatment-associated morbidity.Case Report: A 23-month-old girl presented with irritability, central obesity with rapid weight gain and arrested linear growth, cushingoid facies with facial...

Cafe au-lait skin macules, Cushing syndrome (CS), hyperthyroidism, liver and cardiac dysfunction have been described as presenting features of neonatal McCune Albright Syndrome (MAS). Despite being defined, neonatal diabetes mellitus due to hypercortisolism is a rare presenting feature. Outcome of patients presenting in neonatal period is usually unfavorable, tthough spontaneous resolution of hypercortisolism have been reported. Newborn girl was born at 38 weeks of gestation v...

Background: Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors rarely occur in children, with <1% of all adolescents with Cushing Syndrome (CS). Many cases of ACTH-secreting ectopic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are reported in literature. In most patients, tumors secrete corticotropin-like peptides and/or corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-like peptide, which stimulate cortisol hyperproduction.Background: Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors r...

Background: McCune-Albright-Syndrome (MAS) is an extremely rare multisystem disorder that affects bones (fibrous dysplasia), skin (cafe-au-lait spots) and endocrine organs (hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies) and is caused by somatic mutations in GNAS gene.Materials and methods: We have evaluated 55 pediatric patients (44 girls (G) and 11 boys (B)) diagnosed in the period of 20 years. Mutation analyses using competitive allele-specific TaqMan PCR...

Background: Micronodular adrenal hyperplasia (MAH) is a rare disease.Objective: Describe the clinical, biological and genetic characteristics of micronodular adrenal hyperplasia (MAH) in children.Method: Retrospective study based on medical records (from the NIH and Bicêtre Hospital) of 47 pediatric patients (age <18 years at first signs of disease) with ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome (AICS) due to MAH proven histologic...