ESPE Abstracts

We report on a nearly 4-year-old girl who presented to the emergency room of our paediatric clinic with high fever and poor general condition, swelling of the neck and swallowing difficulties. Laboratory chemistry showed a marked hyperthyroid metabolic state, so that initially a thyrotoxic crisis in Graves' disease was considered (TSH 0.03 mU/L (-), fT4 28.10 pmol/l (+)). Therefore, a short-term therapy with thiamazole was given. The thyroid autoantibodies were negative. ...

Context: The early activation of adrenal zona reticularis, denoted by increased circulating levels of adrenal androgens before the age of eight years in girls is called premature adrenarche (PA), while the concomitant appearance of pubic hair is termed premature pubarche (PP). Girls with PA-PP display an unfavorable metabolic, hormonal and psychologic profile, compared to their normal peers and are also at an increased risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO...

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in the central regulation of energy balance and has been associated with body mass index (BMI).Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate potential differences in serum BDNF concentrations in adolescents by gender and BMI, as well as possible correlations of circulating BDNF with the adolescents’ characteristics of metabolic syndrome.Methods: Study part...

Background: Spexin is a novel hormone that may potentially impact food intake, weight regulation and body adiposity. Circulating spexin has been associated with obesity and insulin resistance indices in women.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine serum spexin concentrations in adolescent females with metabolic syndrome, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with anorexia nervosa as well as in healthy controls, and explore possible relationsh...

Background: In Italy monogenic forms of hyperglycemia account for more than 6% of cases referred to pediatric diabetes clinics. In January 2019 we started a Monogenic Diabetes Clinic (MDC) with the three main aims: a) implementing a standardized pathway towards genetic testing, 2) ease the revision of complex cases, 3) implement standardized therapies for monogenic diabetes mellitus (MDM) subtypes.Methods: Type 1 diabete...

Capillary hyperglycemia in critically ill infants is a situation with numerous interfering factors, from acute illnesses to concomitant use of medications and may or may not be a manifestation of endocrinological urgency. Clinical case: Female patient, 2 months old, with failure to thrive, hepatomegaly without cholestasis, polyuria and compensated metabolic acidosis. On admission, capillary blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dL were measured even without concomitant use of cort...

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most frequent chronic diseases in the pediatric age and demands constant and rigorous glycemic control. Intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) systems are a helpful tool in diabetes management. Second-generation isCGM contain alarms to assist in the detection of hyper or hypoglycemia. We aimed to compare the sleep quality of principal caregivers of T1DM pediatric patients who use i...

Failure to thrive is a term used to describe inadequate growth or the inability to maintain growth, which usually occurs in early childhood. Case report: female patient, 7 months old, referred to the pediatric clinic of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre due to a possible syndromic condition. He had no diagnosed comorbidity to date and was using only prophylactic ferrous sulfate and vitamin D. No family history of similar illness. Physical examination showed hypertric...

Introduction: Pituitary adenomas (PPAs) are uncommon in childhood and adolescence, accounting for 2-6% of all intracranial neoplasms. Most data are based on case reports and only a few series have been reported. Delayed puberty, short stature, galactorrhea and weight gain are common features at presentation in pediatric patients. Functional tumors constitute a vast majority (90%) of PPAs including corticotropinomas in the first decade followed by relative upsu...

Introduction: The underlying genetic causes of congenital hypothyroidism with gland in-situ (CH GIS) and hyperthyrotropinemia (HT) remain largely a mystery. Thanks to NGS, genetic screening is now finding many novel variants. The challenge is to correctly identify which genes and which variants lead to CH and which cause only a transient HT.Objectives: Our objectives were to evaluate the presence of variants in 14 candid...