ESPE Abstracts

Background: Achondroplasia is the most common form of skeletal dysplasia, caused by activating mutations of FGFR3 gene. In the previous years the management of achondroplasia was focused on prevention and treatment of complications related to the altered cartilage maturation. Therapeutic spectrum of achondroplasia was broadened by approval of Vosoritide (VOXOZOGO®), a synthetic recombinant analogue of C-natriuretic peptide (CNP). The interaction between ac...

Introduction: Neonatal hyponatremia with hyperkalemia is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening occurrence. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is often suspected in these cases, but among the alternative diagnoses, it is important to consider pseudohypoaldosteronism, a rare syndrome characterized by increased aldosterone secretion associated with clinical signs of hypoaldosteronism.Case presentation: A 21-day-old femal...

Hashimoto encephalopathy is an autoimmune encephalopathy predominantly diagnosed in the adult population. In the pediatric population, the mean age is determined to be 14 years, with the majority of adolescent females. The diagnosis of Hashimoto encephalopathy is clinical and based on the highly variable neuropsychiatric conditions, often affecting more than one area of the central nervous system, the detection of antiperoxidase or antithyroglobulin antibodies in serum, and on...

Background: Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder, mainly characterized by the association of anosmia (due to hypo/aplasia of the olfactory bulbs) and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (due to GnRH deficiency). Both partial or complete forms are described. Other features (skeletal and renal malformations, deafness, bimanual synkinesis) can be variably associated. Behind this phenotypic heterogeneity, there is a considerable complexity of genetic mutations. KAL1, <e...

Background: 3-M syndrome is an autosomal recessive primordial growth disorder characterized by severe prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, normal mental development, unusual facial features and skeletal abnormalities. Mutations in the CUL7, OBSL1 and CCDC8 genes are responsible for this syndrome. In literature a modest response to GH treatment in 3M children is reported without a significant improvement in the final height, suggesting a picture...

Background: Haploinsufficiency of short stature homeobox containing gene (SHOX) is one of the main monogenic causes of short stature. The phenotype of SHOX deficiency (SHOX-D) is often mild, making difficult to identify which short-statured children should be screened.Objective and hypotheses: To estimate the prevalence of SHOX-D in Italian short-statured children and to analyse their phenotype and the sensitivity of various scores and anthropometric mea...

Background: Genetic factors play an important role in determining individual susceptibility to weight gain and obesity. In the last few years, several genetic variants have been identified as causative of monogenic/syndromic forms of obesity, mainly involved in the hypothalamic leptin-melanocortin pathways (LMP) that regulates food intake and energy homeostasis.Methods: Pediatric patients (<18 years) with severe obesi...

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is a macrovascular complication of type 1 diabetes. Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes may suffer of endothelial dysfunction, irrespective of chronological age and disease duration.Objective and hypotheses: After evaluating the prevalence of early endothelial dysfunction, as measured by mean of reactive hyperaemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, at baseline and after 1-year follow-up, we started a 6-mon...

Background: Skeletal dysplasias are characterised by bone-cartilage involvement and impairment of growth and body proportions. Reports of the benefits of GH treatment are difficult to evaluate for the small number of subjects, short period of treatment, few final height (FH) data in groups with and without GH deficiency (GHD).Objective and hypotheses: The aim of our study was to assess FH and body proportions in pts with skeletal dysplasia and GHD.<p...

Objective and hypotheses: We studied the prevalence of deficiency in the short stature homeobox containing gene (SHOX) in short-statured children and analysed clinical and radiological signs.Method: A total of 162 children aged 1–17 years (53% females, 67% prepubertal, median age 6.6 years, median height SDS −1.7) presenting with short stature between 2008 and 2014, were analysed for SHOX mutations by direct sequencing and multiplex ligation p...