ESPE Abstracts

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is often familial but its genetic cause is largely unknown. Very recently, the makorin RING finger protein 3 (MKRN3) gene, located on chromosome 15 in the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS)-associated region (15q11-q13), has been found mutated for the first time in five families with familial precocious puberty, with a peculiar kind of transmission. In fact, it is an imprinted gene which is expressed only if transmitted from the father. Th...

Background: Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital anomalies in males. Surgical repairing aims to improve the aesthetic and functional outcome. The success rate of hypospadias repairing is variable according to the severity of the malformation with a complication rate(CR) of almost 60% in proximal forms. Testosterone treatment before surgery is still controversial and its impact on surgical outcomes, and the best regimen for administration, is unclea...

Background: Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) have an increased risk of developing optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) during childhood. Although these tumors usually have a benign course, some cases result in significant clinical symptoms, including endocrinological disorders.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study is to evaluate the endocrinological complications of OPGs involving the chiasm in children with NF1.Metho...

Background: ROHHADNET syndrome affects children with normal development until 2–4 years of age.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of this study was to evaluate a possible role of autoimmunity in this disorder. In spite of a suspicion for genetic etiology, disease-associated genetic variations have not been identified. A paraneoplastic/autoimmune etiology has been suggested mainly because of the association with neural crest tumors....

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is a well-known endocrine complication after cervical irradiation for Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL). The most common are primary hypothyroidism (20–30%), central hypothyroidism, transient thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. Graves’ disease (GD) is less frequent (5%).Objective and hypotheses: We describe a boy, already diagnosed with thyroiditis, who developed GD during follow-up for severe hypothyroidism following rad...

Background: Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk have consistently been observed in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The influence of T1DM on BMD seems to depend on gender or patient’s age and to occur early after T1DM diagnosis. The mechanisms of decreased BMD in T1DM patients are still unknown.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the serum levels of dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), a Wnt signaling inhibitor which decreases bone ...

Background: At present few data have clearly showed an increased frequency of idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) in females during the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of environmental factors is not fully understood and various hypotheses have been formulated.Aims of the study: To evaluate retrospectively the incidence of newly diagnosed CPP and other pubertal disorders (Premature thelarche, early puberty, fast pube...

Introduction: Thyroid dyshormonogenesis (TD) is a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases caused by the total or partial defect in the synthesis or secretion of thyroid hormones. It presents clinical heterogeneity, from subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) to goitre. The clearer understanding of the pathways and enzymatic activities involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones has allowed us to identify an important number of causal genes. Defective organification...

Introduction: The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) has a key role in the thyroid gland. It is involved in folliculogenesis, differentiation, organogenesis, and thyroid hormone synthesis and production. Its genetic defects can cause poor differentiation (thyroid dysgenesis) and/or thyroid malfunction (thyroid dyshormonogenesis, TD). Therefore, its phenotype spectrum is wide, ranging from severe congenital hypothyroidism (CH) to mild hyperthyrotropinemia. Some hetero...

A 8 years and 7 months old male presented with short stature related to his target height. No history of bones fractures. The patient was 120.7 cm (- 1.77 SDS). Physical exam demonstrated peculiar facies, relative macrocephaly, delayed tooth eruption and pectus carinatum. He referred during the clinical evaluation diffuse bone pain and weakness, mostly exacerbated by sport activity. A first diagnostic investigation had already been made showing low serum alkaline phosphatase a...