ESPE Abstracts

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene and results in a progressive muscular damage and degeneration. Endocrine complications result from decreased energy expenditure, immobility and glucocorticoid (GC) treatment. Due to the multidisciplinary management and emerging genetic and molecular therapies longer survival is expected and there is an increasing emphasis on the quality of life in DMD. Aim of the study ...

Background: Glucocorticoids play a major role in the treatment of lymphoblastic lymphoma. However, supraphysiological glucocorticoid therapy may cause the secondary adrenal insufficiency.Presentation of case: A 11-year-old boy with T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, treated according to COG A5971 protocol, experienced sudden onset of tremor and general weakness in the first day after tapering 28 days of glucocorticoid therapy. He had a moon face and pigmenta...

Background: In type 1 diabetes (T1D), optimal glycaemic control requires intensive self-management to reduce the risk of complications. While routine downloading and review of blood glucose data is part of clinical practice of healthcare providers in an outpatient setting, patients and families are also educated, advised and encouraged to regularly download and review blood glucose data at home in order to make adjustments to insulin dosing for carbohydrate in...

Introduction: Complete ALS deficiency (ALS-D), caused by inactivating mutations in both IGFALS gene alleles, presents severe IGF1 and IGFBP3 deficiencies associated to moderate growth retardation.Aim: To characterize the molecular defect in a family where the index case and his father presented short stature and IGF1 and IGFBP3 deficiencies.Methods: IGF1, IGFBP3, and GH serum levels were determined by CLIA, ALS by ELISA an...

In Turner Syndrome (TS) the ovaries usually start to involute within 4 or 5 months of gestation. Consequently, the majority of patients have diminished ovarian estrogen production leading to the (Partial) absence of puberty. These girls need estrogen therapy to induce pubertal maturation. For many parents of girls with TS, talking about ovaries, puberty and, particularly, infertility is a stressful thing. However, timely age-appropriate disclosure about these subjects, startin...

Micropenis is defined as a penile length less than 2.5 SD below the mean value for a given age (eg, <2.5 cm at term). Nowadays, it should be also diagnosed in utero by sonography. The incidence of micropenis has been reported as 1.5/10.000 male infants in Usa, 5/1.442 in France and 18/2710 in Brazil, suggesting geographical differences or different assessment. Micropenis represents a clinical sign, that may be part of various clinical conditions, such as hypogonad...

Classical growth hormone insensitivity (GHI) is caused by a defect of the growth hormone receptor and is characterized by severe postnatal growth failure, craniofacial disproportion, IGF-I deficiency and normal or elevated levels of growth hormone. This is a rare condition. With the development of new genetic techniques during the last two decades other monogenetic defects resulting in milder forms of GHI have been identified. These include genes involved in the GH-IGF-I axis:...

Introduction: The harmfull or benefical effect of obesity on bone mineral density (BMD) is remain controversial in children and adolescence. Either increase or decrease of BMD have been reported. Several factors such as insülin resistance, prediabetes, high proportion of fat mass, sedentary lifestyle were suggested to cause the differences of BMD in obesity. FGF-21 is a metabolic factor that plays a specific role in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipi...

Even today, the majority of families are caught completely unprepared by the diagnosis of diabetes in their child. The "bad news" hits them like a bolt from the blue and calls into question the future plans of parents and children. The first talk with the paediatric diabetologist, in which the diagnosis is communicated and the therapy is roughly outlined, sets the course for the acceptance of diabetes in the family and the long-term trusting cooperation with the diab...

Background: systematic data about endocrinopathies in Rett syndrome (RTT) patients are still scarce and not univocal.Objective: to assess the prevalence of endocrinopathies in a pediatric population of RTT patients.Design: retrospective observational single center study.Methods: 29 caucasian patients (28 girls,1 boy) with genetically confirme...