ESPE Abstracts

Background: Insulin Tolerance tests (ITT) have long been considered the gold standard for dynamic function testing of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Sub-optimal cortisol responses during an ITT in children may be found in children during ITT without a previous clinical suspicion of Adrenal insufficiency (AI). It is not clear what the clinical significance of this is and whether all of these children require formal synacthen testing.<p class=...

Background: Complication rates following hypospadias surgery are variable and given that hypospadias may be associated with a genetic or an endocrine condition, hypospadias outcome may depend on several clinical factors that require exploration.Aim: To perform a systematic review of cases of hypospadias operated at one tertiary centre to identify clinical determinants of optimal outcome.Methods: Retrospective review of clinical rec...

Introduction: Among Disorders of Sex Development (DSDs), XY DSD, represents the most challenging group in terms of identifying a diagnosis.Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of biochemical and molecular genetic tests in a cohort of boys with XY DSD and to collate the phenotypes of patients with results of laboratory investigations and presence of associated abnormalities.Methods: New and existing cases...

Background: Calculation of a urinary steroid metabolite ratio (uSMR) may be a useful method of improving diagnostic yield when investigating disorders of steroid hormone synthesis. Our aim was to investigate the range of uSMR in children with suspected disorders of steroid hormone synthesis.Methods: Ten ratios were calculated on steroid metabolite data analysed by GC-MS in urine samples collected between 2008 and 2010 from 94 children who were undergoing...

Introduction: The degree of consistency between the findings from next generation sequencing (NGS) and detailed endocrine assessment is unclear in boys with XY DSD.Objectives: Examine the range of endocrine and molecular genetic variation in boys undergoing evaluation for XYDSD.Methods: Boys with XYDSD who were evaluated in Glasgow from 2016 to 2018 were included. Sequence variants...

Introduction: Advances in diagnostic capability in the field of DSD hold great promise but need a regular review.Objectives: To study the range of endocrine and molecular genetic variation in a group of boys undergoing investigation for XY DSD.Methods: 157boys with median age of 0.9yrs (range,0,18) evaluated by the DSD Diagnostic Board in Glasgow from 2016to 2021 were included. Seq...

Introduction: Hypospadias is often associated with reduced testosterone synthesis or action. High rates of complications are reported with surgical repair of hypospadias, including wound dehiscence. Boys with hypospadias have previously been demonstrated to have increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to healthy controls and there is a known link between male hypogonadism and oxidative stress. It is not clear what effect ROS has on wound healing in bo...

Background: Heterogeneity in reported outcomes limits the ability to compare results of studies evaluating hypospadias surgery.Objective: To identify a core outcome set (COS), a minimal number of defined outcomes, to be routinely measured and reported in all trials across the age span following hypospadias surgery.Materials and Methods: A study protocol was drafted and the study re...

Objective: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) to assess patency of the Fallopian tubes with the use of iodinated (oil- or water-based) contrast media is a standard test during fertility work-up. An observational study found an increased risk of congenital hypothyroidism in neonates whose mothers were exposed to high amounts of oil-based contrast during HSG. Oil-based contrast contains more iodine (480mg Iodine/ml) than water-based contrast (250mg Iodine/ml). We inves...

Background: Hypospadias in boys may be associated with a lack of androgen exposure during the masculinisation programming window. As testosterone has effects on the vasculature, we assessed whether boys with hypospadias show any evidence of vascular dysfunction.Methods: Excess foreskin tissue was obtained from boys undergoing hypospadias repair (cases) or circumcision (controls) and small arteries dissected from this tissue. Vascular contractility was as...