ESPE Abstracts

Background: The ‘External Masculinization Score’ (EMS) is an objective method of scoring undervirilized genitalia in infants but may require further adaptation to capture the appearance of the genitalia more comprehensively across the phenotypic spectrum.Objective: To develop and validate a non-binary, standardized score that describes the range of appearance of external genitalia.Method: The external genitalia score (EGS...

Background: 45,X/46,XY mosaicism is a rare karyotype with a broad phenotypic variation. In patients with a male or predominantly male phenotype, impaired genital development and statural growth have been observed, but little is known about long-term outcomes. Larger multicenter studies are needed.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study is to investigate long-term outcomes, namely gonadal function, growth and co-morbidities, in a larger group of m...

Background: Following the 2010 CAH consensus, the need for genetic confirmation of diagnosis remains uncertain and variation in practice is unclear.Methods: This variation was assessed by using the International CAH(I-CAH) Registry which was developed using the same platform as the I-DSD Registry.Results: After the development of the I-CAH Registry in October 2014, the rate of addition of CAH cases increased from 2/month to 14/mont...

Background: Clinical outcome data of patients with adrenal insufficiency, who were affected by COVID-19, have been collected as a common initiative by the ESE Rare Disease Committee and ENDO-ERN via the European Registries for Rare Endocrine Conditions (EuRRECa) project. Methods: This Webropol-based questionnaire included a total of 32 questions collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Of the 19 medical centres out ...

Background: Hetero- and homozygous mutations in Steroidogenic Factor1 (SF1, NR5A1) cause 46,XY and 46,XX disorders of sex development (DSD), azoospermia, and primary ovarian insufficiency. NR5A1 is also involved in embryonic spleen development, by transactivation of T-cell Leukemia Homeobox 1 (TLX1). Hypo- or asplenism have occasionally been observed in DSD patients with NR5A1 mutations.<p clas...

Background/Aims: Cryptorchidism or undescended testis is a prevalent congenital urogenital condition affecting male newborns with an incidence rate ranging from 1.0 to 4.6%. Mouse models have implicated INSL3 and its receptor RXFP2 (formerly known as GREAT or LGR8) in the development of the condition. RXFP2 acts as a G protein-coupled receptor that triggers the generation of cAMP by binding INSL3. But despite the established role in testicular descent, so far ...

Background: Long-term outcome studies on bilateral testicular regression (BTR) are currently lacking, hampering counseling of patients and parents. Although a vascular origin was initially reported, recent studies revealed a genetic origin in a subset of patients (i.e. DHX37 gene variants). How this relates to patient outcomes remains unclear.Methods: Thirty-five patients with BTR were recruited in eight Belgian centers ...

Newer studies have indicated that vitamin D has more widespread effects than the classical effects on bone and calcium-phosphate homeostasis. The presence of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the testis and male reproductive tract indicates a role for vitamin D in male reproduction. Indeed, vitamin D deficiency and global knock out models of VDR or CYP27B1 in rodents have shown that vitamin D and calcium are important regulators of male reproductive function. Several groups have...

Background: Steroidogenic Factor 1 (NR5A1/SF-1) is essential for the development and function of human sex and steroid organs. Variants of SF-1 lead to a broad spectrum of phenotypes including adrenal insufficiency and differences of sex development (DSD), but data on the whole picture of phenotypes in individuals with SF-1 variants are currently lacking. We aim to investigate the phenotype of individuals with SF-1 variants in a large interna...

Introduction: Although short stature is common in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), little information on body proportions and the GH/IGF-1 axis exists.Methods: Total height (Ht), sitting height (SH), leg length (LL) and bone lengths (femur, tibia, humerus) in boys with DMD (n=30) and healthy boys (n=79) were measured using DXA digital images by 1 observer. Insulin growth factor-1 (IGF1), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and a...