ESPE Abstracts

Objectives: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex multisystem disorder due to loss of expression of paternally derived genes in the PWS critical region on chromosome 15q11-q13. The majority of the cases are due to the deletion of this region (del15), while 20–30% are caused by a maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15 (UPD15). The clinical picture is characterized by neonatal hypotonia and feeding difficulties in early infancy, early development of hyperphagia wit...

Background: Rare genetic diseases of obesity are often driven by gene variants in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway. The MC4R agonist setmelanotide demonstrated significant reductions in body weight in patients ≥6 years old with various rare genetic diseases of obesity, including proopiomelanocortin (POMC), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 1 (PCSK1), or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency and Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS). While these condit...

Background: Mild TSH elevations are frequently observed in obese patients, in the absence of any detectable thyroid disease.Aims and objective: To evaluate possible causes for the raised TSH levels and to verify possible biochemical and clinical consequences of this condition.Methods: We evaluated 779 (325 males/454 females) obese children, chronological age 14.38±2.56 (range 5.25 to 18.50), height SDS 0.27±1.04 (range &#...

Background: Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the commonest hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) disorder in cancer survivors. The only few studies in literature addressing GH efficacy in a large cohort of patients concluded that, though improving height outcome, GH therapy may not entirely restore final height (FH) potential according to mid-parental height (MPH). Thus, in order to optimize outcome, more information on factors influencing growth response in these chi...

Aim of our study was to assess clinical characteristics and complementary studies, in patients who consulted the Endocrinology Department of our pediatric hospital, referred by pediatricians to discard precocious puberty.Methodology: it is a descriptive study based on review of medical records, with first consultation between 2010 and 2018. Criteria were developed to assign patients to one of six diagnostic categories based on age, growt...

Introduction: Central precocious puberty (PPC) is defined by the appearance of sexual characters at a chronological age lower than -2.5DS of the average for the reference population. Diagnostic is clinical but the hormonal assessment is essential. Basal gonadotropin values are not enough for the diagnosis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation tests evidence the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, however there is controversy abo...

Introduction: The leptin-melanocortin pathway is a well-studied pivotal player of body weight regulation and energy homeostasis. Pathogenic mutations of the genes involved in this pathway may result in early-onset severe obesity (ESO).Case Report: We hereby report the case of a 14-year-old girl who was referred to our pediatric outpatient clinic for the evaluation of ESO. Her parents were non-obese first cousins born in Morocco. At the t...

Background: It is often difficult to establish whether hyperthyrotropinemia in preterm newborn is a simple physiologic energy sparing phenomenon or a true hypothyroidism requiring replacement treatment.Objective and hypotheses: This study aimed to find in what extent thyroid function in the preterm newborn can be influenced by clinical characteristics and complications.Method: We studied 35 preterm newborn, gestational age (GA) 32....

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant disorder of connective tissue. Cardinal features affect cardiovascular system, eyes and skeleton. It is caused by mutations of FBN1 gene, which encodes the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin 1. The improper activation of TGFβ, due to defective fibrillin-1, is the pathophysiological mechanism. The altered modulation leads to overgrowth of long bones (disproportionate stature) and altered bone morphology.<p ...

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) represent a complex entity of neoplasm arising from different cell types of neural crest origin. They can produce and/or secrete various hormones or vasoactive substances. Usually sporadic, they can occur in association with other cancers, as part of a multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), von Hippel–Lindau disease, von Recklinghausen, tuberous sclerosis.Case report: We report a case of neuroendocrine t...