ESPE Abstracts

Background: An adrenal crisis (AC) is a life-threatening complication of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Despite modern therapies, children with CAH still present with symptomatic adrenal insufficiency (AI) and AC.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to determine the spectrum of symptoms and signs of AI in children with diagnosed CAH who were admitted to hospital for an acute illness, as well as to evaluate the use of stress dosing an...

Background: Obesity in Prader-Willi Syndrome has peculiar features associated to reduced lean body mass which could confer different metabolic characteristics.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study is to describe and to compare the metabolic profile in obese patients and obese Prader-Willi syndrome patients (OPWS) followed in a Pediatric Endocrinology outpatient clinic.Method: 45 obese and 22 OPWS patients between 8 and 20...

Introduction: Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting children and young people (CYP) worldwide. The impact of obesity on CYP is multi-faceted and can have a significant effect on their lives. They are at risk of being stigmatized and discriminated against, leading to poor academic performance and social functioning. It is crucial to assess the impact of obesity on the lives of CYP through tools such as Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) q...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is caused by variants in multiple genes regulating the RAS/MAPK signalling cascade. NS can present with growth failure associated with growth hormone insensitivity (GHI; low IGF-I and normal/elevated GH levels). Variants in LZTR1 lead to NS, although the interaction of LZTR1 with the RAS/MAPK and the GH-IGF-1 pathways remain to be elucidated.Objectives: To gain insights into the ...

It is important that any child or adolescent with a suspected difference or disorder of sex development (DSD) is assessed by an experienced clinician with adequate knowledge about the range of conditions associated with DSD. In most cases, the paediatric endocrinologist within this service acts as the first point of contact but involvement of the regional multidisciplinary service is critical. The members of this service should be involved in education and training as well as ...

Human growth is a very complex phenomenon that is influenced by genetic, hormonal, nutritional and environmental factors from fetal life throughout puberty. Although the GH-IGF axis clearly has a central role in this process, with specific actions on longitudinal growth, numerous other genes are also involved in determining stature. Indeed, genome-wide association studies have identified >600 variants associated with human height, but this still only explains a small fract...

Abnormal bone development is commonly seen in children with chronic disease. However, fragility fractures in the young individual may be less common compared to older adults, which may be due to under recognition. The underlying chronic condition and medication can impact on bone turnover, modelling, bone mineral homeostasis, growth, pubertal development and muscle mass. The diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in children and adolescents with chronic disease remains conte...

Mutations in genes of the RAS/MAPK signalling pathway have been shown to cause several syndromes characterized by dysmorphic features, growth retardation, cognitive impairment, heart disease and cutaneous abnormalities. The GHrh treatment has been used to improve growth in children with Noonan syndrome.Material and methods: 201 cases of patients referred with clinical suspicion of S. Noonan and other RASopathies was studied. Analysis of ...

Introduction: An increase in liver enzymes predicts cardiac hypertrophy secondary to increased left ventricular mass in patients with cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms involved include decreased adiponectin concentration and increased epicardial fat in these subjects. We hypothesized that associations between these parameters would also be readily apparent in otherwise healthy children.Objectives: Our objective was ...

Background: Pubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA) with a poor adult height (AH) expectation can benefit from treatment with GH 1 mg/m2 per day (~0.033 mg/kg per day) in combination with 2 years of GnRH analogue (2 years GnRHa) and even more so with 2 mg/m2 per day (~0.067 mg/kg per day). Concerns haven been raised about the effects of GH and GnRHa on insulin sensitivity on the long-term.Objective and hypotheses: To ...