ESPE Abstracts

Background: The Low dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) is an important investigation for suspected Cushing’s Syndrome (CS). The traditional definition of normal suppression of serum cortisol to ≤50 nmol/l during the LDDST (0.5 mg 6 hrly × 48 h) comes from a time when biochemical autoanalysers did not routinely detect very low values. Previous studies reported 5.1–8.3% of patients with Cushing’s Disease (CD) suppressed to <50 nmol/l at 48 ...

Background: Impairment of the chromatin remodeling factors ATRX and DAXX and telomeres abnormality play a role in cancer biology, influencing the clinical outcomes. However, their roles in adrenal tumorigenesis require broader investigation.Aim: To evaluate ATRX and DAXX genotype and expression, telomere length, and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), as well as their clinical significance, in primary adrenoc...

Background: The majority of children diagnosed with idiopathic isolated growth hormone deficiency (IIGHD) show a normal growth hormone (GH) secretion (assessed by GH stimulation tests) when retested at near adult height (NAH). It appears plausible that if normal stimulated GH secretion is observed in mid-puberty, continuing recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment may only have a minor effect on NAH. The effect on NAH has never been investigated in a prospective ...

Donohue Syndrome is a rare and lethal autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the insulin receptor gene. It presents severe insulin resistance, fasting hypoglycemia, post-prandial hyperglycemia, intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, dysmorphic features, hypertrichosis. The diagnosis of Donohue syndrome was based on the clinical characteristics, laboratory evaluation and determination of the INSR mutation. We report a Turkish female patient with genetically ...

Triple A syndrome (AAAS) is a rare, incurable, recessive disorder, characterised by achalasia, alacrima, adrenal failure and a neurodegenerative phenotype. The AAAS gene encodes ALADIN, is a nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein necessary for nuclear import of DNA protective molecules, important for redox homeostasis. ALADIN’s role is not fully characterised: its discovery at the centrosome and the endoplasmic reticulum suggests a role outside the NPC. To date, the ...

Background: Transient Generalized Glucocorticoid Hypersensitivity (TGGH) is a rare disorder characterized by increased tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids and compensatory hypoactivation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The condition itself and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.Objective and hypotheses: To present the clinical manifestations, endocrinologic evaluation and molecular studies in ...

Background: The prevalence of vertebral fractures (VF) in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is currently unknown as systematic spine imaging is rarely performed.Objective: To determine the prevalence of VF in DMD and factors associated with VF.Method: A prospective study utilising systematic screening with DXA vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) was performed in all 47 eligible boys. 6/47 were excluded due to spinal instrumentation...

Background: Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is associated with increased fracture risk.Aim: Understand the association between glycaemic control and bone health in children with T1D.Method: Children (n, 32) with T1D and a median (range) age of 13.7 years (10.4,16.4), were recruited to study bone mineral content (TB & LS) and body composition by DXA. All data were corrected for size. Vitamin D, Bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in disorders of sexual development (DSD) is still relatively scarce despite the opportunities it offers for understanding the influence of sex hormones on emotion and cognition. In this talk I will give an update on current structural and functional MRI research in different DSDs such as Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, or Familial Male Precocious Puberty. Finally, parallels will be drawn to cu...

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder in children. It usually presents with nonspecific symptoms, that can be mild and occur slowly over time, compromising a timely diagnosis, with possible effects on pituitary gland, multiple organs and growth. In case of long-standing unrecognized hypothyroidism, myxedema or myxedema coma can occur, rare but severe conditions. This case report describes an adolescent presenting with extensive trunk and neck swelling. After exclu...