ESPE Abstracts

Background: In order to prevent virilization in CAH female fetuses, physicians have during the last thirty years used the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) as a therapeutic approach administered during early pregnancy. Due to the fact that treatment has to be started before the genotype of the fetus is known, seven out of eight treated fetuses will be subjected to high doses of DEX during early embryogenesis without benefit. Therefore, negative side effects cannot b...

Objective: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) requires life-long replacement of cortisol. However, this long-term GC-treatment could change the developmental trajectory of the brain and predispose patients to problems with cognition and mood regulation. Previously, we have found impairments in working memory in patients with CAH, as well as alterations in brain structure in regions of the central executive network (CEN). These changes could be associated wit...

Objective: Oral hydrocortisone medication for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) could lead to suboptimal blood cortisol levels throughout the day. In addition, the HPA-axis is rendered inflexible in patients. Cortisol is crucially involved in the stress response as well as in generating and regulating emotional responses to stimuli. Sub-optimal cortisol levels, in combination with a less flexible HPA-axis, could therefore lead to problems with emotion regul...

Background: The benefit of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in improving height is widely recognised; however, rhGH therapy can affect carbohydrate metabolism and lead to impaired glucose tolerance during treatment. In addition, short children born SGA are predisposed to metabolic abnormalities. This study assessed the long-term safety of growth hormone (Omnitrope®) use in short children born SGA for up to 10 years after the end of treat...

Background: Short children born SGA are predisposed to metabolic abnormalities. While the benefit of recombinant human growth hormone in improving height is widely recognised, it can affect carbohydrate metabolism and lead to impaired glucose tolerance during treatment. This ongoing, prospective study is assessing the long-term safety and efficacy of Omnitrope® (somatropin) in children born SGA. Here we present data from an interim analysis con...

Background: The aim was to determine prevalence and age at seroconversion of thyroid autoimmunity and relation to islet autoantibodies, gender and HLA-DQ genotypes in children followed from birth because of increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.Methods: In 1874 10-year-old children followed in the Diabetes Prediction in Skåne (DiPiS) study, blood samples were analysed for autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb), thyroglobulin (TGAb), ...

Background: 25–50% of paediatric patients with chronic endocrine diseases are lost for follow-up in adult care.Aims and objectives: A standardised medical and psychological work-up to identify disease specific morbidity and to comprehend quality of life in adolescents with chronic endocrine diseases at the time of transition from paediatric to adult care.Methods: The quality of life (DISABKIDS1 and KIDSCREEN2</...

Introduction: Diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus (CDI) remains challenging. Water deprivation test and hypertonic saline infusion, as established diagnostic tests, are mentally and physically demanding for patients. Copeptin response to arginine-stimulation and insulin tolerance test (ITT) has been shown to be a putative parameter in the diagnosis of CDI in adults, but data are lacking for children and adolescents.Methods:</...

Background: Concerns about a child's growth are one of the most common topics parents express during pediatric visits and are a leading cause for referral to a pediatric endocrinologist. For the general pediatric, when short stature is diagnosed, its clinical management remains a challenge.Objective: The aim of the study was to approach and understand the perception from the general pediatrician about short stature,...

Introduction: Bone Health Index (BHI) determined by measurement of cortical thickness of metacarpalia II-IV in x-rays of the left hand represents a method to estimate bone health in children. Aim of this study was to investigate changes of BHI SDS in the course of growth hormone (GH) treatment.Method: 256 consecutive children with short stature (isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) n = 121, multiple pituitary hormone deficiency...