ESPE Abstracts

Background: Turner syndrome (TS) affects 1:2,500 females and results from complete or partial loss of one of the X chromosomes. Typical traits associated with TS include short stature, primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular and endocrine disorders. Long-term follow-up is needed from the time of presentation into adult life. Several genetic mechanisms have been proposed to account for the development of TS-associated featur...

Background: Human scalp hair is a valuable matrix for determining long-term cortisol concentrations, with wide-spread applicability in clinical care as well as research. However, pediatric reference intervals are lacking.The aim of this study is to establish age-adjusted reference intervals for hair cortisol in children aged 0-18 years and to gain insight into hair-growth velocity in children up to 2 years old.Methods: A...

Background: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects 1% of women and is associated with significant medical consequences. In approximately 10% of cases, POI presents early with absent puberty or primary amenorrhoea. A genetic cause for POI can be found in up to 30% of women. Identified genes often relate to the complex biological processes occurring in fetal life which underpin normal ovary development and function in later adulthood.Objective: We aim...

Background: Numerous studies focused on the association between hypospadias and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) exposures. The wide variability of phenotypes included in these studies, the absence of comparison groups representative of the populations and the absence of concomitant genetic testing to rule out another cause make the results questionable.Objective and hypotheses: We performed a prospective phenotype-specific analysis of patients with ...

Background: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is genetically mediated in up to 30% of cases. Many genes associated with POI have roles in early ovary developmental processes, including meiosis.Objectives: We investigated the genetic mechanism underlying early-onset POI in three young women presenting with absent puberty: two sisters from a consanguineous pedigree and a third unrelated proband.<st...

Introduction: In the rare aromatase excess syndrome aromatase turnover from androgens to estrogens is constitutively increased. Affected males show signs of hyperestrogenism such as feminization (particularly gynecomastia), hypogonadism, and short adult height due to early epiphyseal closure.Case report: Here, we report the different statural growth of two first degree cousins affected by aromatase excess syndrome. Both carried the same heterozygote dele...

Background: Rathke’s cleft cysts (RCC) are benign lesions of the pituitary gland, remnants of Rathke’s pouch. RCC have rarely been reported in children and adolescents and are usually known as asymptomatic but some cases may be associated with hormonal disturbances.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to assess the characteristics and frequency of endocrine disturbances in children with RCC.Method: We retros...

Introduction: Bartter syndrome (BS) is a rare genetic renal tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemia, salt-wasting and metabolic alkalosis. Polyuria, polydipsia, hypokalemia and salt loss are responsible for the growth retardation seen in BS. Persistent growth failure despite optimizing medical therapy may be due to growth hormone (GH) deficiency.Case diagnosis and treatment: A 9-year-old girl diagnosed with Bartter...

Background: Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is reported to be associated with early adrenarche, but substantial studies are lacking.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to determine the median age at onset of adrenarche, the prevalence of premature adrenarche as well as its causes and consequences.Method: Currently we have collected longitudinal data from 40 children with SRS seen during the last 20 years in our centre. The patients fu...

Background: Determining fat mass (FM) using methods of body composition analysis is useful in diagnosis and treatment of obese adolescents who undergo life style intervention. The use of dual-energy X-ray absorption (DXA) is time-consuming, potentially harmful and expensive. Alternative methods for accurately estimating FM are needed.Objective and hypotheses: We evaluated single-frequency arm-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis at 50 kHz (sf-BIA) in ...