ESPE Abstracts

Background: in general population Hurthle cell cancer (HCC) accounts for 3-7% of all differentiated thyroid cancers (TC) with a more aggressive course, while its relative prevalence and behavior in childhood is uncertain due to the lack of specific literature reviews.Objective: to describe the largest pediatric HCC cohort to date reported and to estimate its relative prevalence among TC variants in childhood.<p c...

Insulinoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor, usually benign, but can be life-threatening in causing hypoglycemic accidents. It presents in individuals aged between 8 and 82 years and can occur sporadically or constitute a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1).The nonspecific-symptoms and small size of these tumors led to difficulties of diagnosis and localization.Here we describe the case of a 11-year-old boy, who came to our attention for a ...

In CAH due to 21-OH deficiency, GH treatment combined to GC and MC replacement is still considered to be experimental. We present a patient who has benefited from such treatment. A baby girl was born in term with clitoromegaly and manifested with salt loose at neonatal period. Low serum morning cortisol and sodium with high potassium and 17-OH levels were found resulted in the clinical diagnosis of CAH. The karyotype was 46,XX. Prednisolone and DOXA, the only available hormone...

Introduction: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are heterogeneous groups of irreversible adducts resulting from non-enzymatic glycation and glyoxidation of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acid. AGEs and its cell receptor RAGE have been involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Interaction of AGEs with RAGE results in an increased generation of oxygen radicals and increased expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Circulating soluble AGE rec...

Background: About 85–90% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) experience a catch-up growth that occurs mostly during the first year of life and results in a full stature recovery by the age of 2. The remaining 10–15% do not undergo compensatory growth, achieving - if untreated - an adult height approximately 20 cm below their peers.Objective: The aim of this prospective one-center study was to investigate the relation between bone m...

Background: Abnormalities of cervical spine have been described in association with pituitary anomalies in the context of malformative syndromes with midline defects. Several genes are involved in the control of pituitary gland development, differentiation and function. In particular, the presence of os odontoideum has been reported in one case of pituitary hypoplasia, associated with leg anomalies, renal dysplasia and no aberrations of the BMP4, BMP2 and PTX1 genes. In anothe...

Background: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in pediatric age might have peculiar course and prognosis.Objective and hypotheses: To compare clinical, biochemical and ultrasound (US) features at diagnosis, histological grading and outcome in two groups of children and young adults with DTC.Method: Clinical, biochemical and imaging characteristics of 63 patients with DTC, diagnosed between 1999 and 2014 in our hospital, were retro...

Background: GnRH analogs (GnRHa) have been used in treatment of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) for several decades. Their effectiveness on adult height (AH) improvement has been widely studied and is still debated.Objective and hypotheses: To assess whether BMI changes in ICPP girls during GnRHa treatment can influence AH.Method: A retrospective study of 131 ICPP girls (mean age at diagnosis: 7.6±0.7, range 4.3&#...

Background: Numerous studies have shown that GH, in addition to promoting linear growth, exerts a key role in many metabolic processes. However, there are only few studies aiming at evaluating the metabolic panel of children with GH deficiency (GHD). The aims of the study were: to verify the presence of metabolic alterations in GHD children in comparison with age-matched controls and to check the possible effects of 2 year GH therapy on the metabolic parameters in GHD.<p c...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in childhood may present with either euthyroidism (52.1% of cases), or primary overt hypothyroidism (22.2%), subclinical hypothyroidism (19.2%), overt hyperthyroidism (3.5%), or subclinical hyperthyroidism (3%). In a large series of 608 children and adolescents with presenting HT, we found in no cases a biochemical picture with low free thyroxine (FT4) and normal or low-normal TSH serum levels, i.e. a thyroid pattern tha...