ESPE Abstracts

Background: Diencephalic syndrome (DS), diencephalic cachexia or Russell syndrome, is a rare, rapidly fatal condition, usually occurring during the first year of life, as a result of a hypothalamic dysfunction due to hypothalamic/chiasmatic tumors. Clinical features of DS are weight loss leading to cachexia despite a normal caloric intake and growth rate, hyperalertness, hyperkinesis, and euphoria. Treatment is related to treatment of the hypothalamic lesion. The role of cytok...

Background: The normal recovery of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis after discontinuation of therapy with GNRH analogue for precocious puberty has been proven and documented in the last decades. There has been no report in the literature of patients in which a history of GNRH treatment of precocious puberty is correlated with premature ovarian failure.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the authors is to evaluate the possibility of a co...

Cushing’s disease (CD) is defined as hypercortisolism secondary to an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secreting pituitary adenoma. It is rare in the pediatric age and early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent long-term complications. In the diagnostic workup, bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) of ACTH after corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation is the gold standard in the differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. We re...

Background: IGFR1 gene plays a crucial role in growth and glucose metabolism. IGF1R mutations account for approximately 10% of children born SGA with no catch-up growth. rhGH therapy has been reported moderately effective in stimulating growth of children with heterozygous IGF1R mutation. To date, no data are available about the efficacy of rhGH in patients with homozygous mutations.Case report: We describe a 4 years-old...

X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a dominant disorder caused by mutations in PHEX (located at Xp22.1), associated with rickets, lower limb deformities, pain, poor mineralization of the teeth and disproportionate short stature in children. The characteristics and severity of XLH vary between patients. Early diagnosis and specific treatment is usually decisive to improve short and long term patient outcomes. We describe the variability of phenotype in two sisters carrying the ...

Introduction: Anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, prevents the conversion of androgen to oestrogen, which is required for the adolescent growth spurt and the attainment of peak bone mass. Anastrozole may help minimise bone age (BA) advancement in conditions associated with adrenal androgen excess, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and premature adrenarche.Objectives: 1. To describe baseline characteristics an...

Craniopharyngioma is a rare, embryonic malformation of the sellar/parasellar region with low histological grade. In childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CoCR), endocrine dysfunctions, severe obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS), neurological impairment and reduced quality of life have been described as consequences of both localization and treatment. To characterize a population with CoCR and to correlate endocrine/metabolic sequelae with different surgery approach we performed...

Background: Children with rare genetic disorders may have different endocrine problemsObjective and hypotheses: To present 4 paediatric patients (3 M, 1 F) aged 4.3 – 16.9 y.o. (mean age 11±5.5 years) with different genetic syndromes: Pallister-Hall, Holt-Oram, Ellis–van Creveld and Marshall.Method: Retrospective study.Results: Mean age of diagnosis was 5.3±2.7 y.o. All children had growth...

Background: Dyslipidaemia is a well-known risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) already in childhood.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the clustering of cardiovascular risk-factors (anthropometric parameters, blood pressure and metabolic abnormalities) in different type of dyslipidaemia in children and adolescents.Method: All the subjects aging 2–18 years referred for dyslipidaemia to our endocrine outp...

Background: Congenital leptin deficiency is a rare cause of early-onset severe obesity. Clinical features of congenital leptin deficiency include early-onset severe obesity, marked hyperphagia, endocrine and metabolic alterations. Some patients have immune dysregulation.Case report: We describe two siblings from Libya referred for severe obesity. A boy (patient 1) referred at the age of 4 years and 3 months and a girl (p...