ESPE Abstracts

Background: An association between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and idiopathic generalized epilepsy is reported. Some authors suggest an autoimmune mechanism mediated by antibodies to glutamic-acid-decarboxylase (GAD), that is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter GABA. Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare, severe epilepsy disorder characterized by febrile hemiclonic seizures or generalized status epilepticus starting at 6 months of age. In classical DS, a d...

Background: Early predictors of cardiovascular risk using anthropometric and laboratory variables available in the general practice in obese children are poorly identified.Objective and hypotheses: To identify best predictors of early cardiovascular risk in obese children between anthropometric and laboratory parameters.Method: Cardiovascular risk was determined by measuring intima-media thickness of the right common carotid artery...

Background: Children affected by cerebral palsy (CP) could experience central precocious puberty (CPP) 20 times more than general population. Nevertheless, the treatment is challenging.Objective and hypotheses: To compare CPP features and the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy (GnRHa) in children with CP and in controls.Method: The study involved 16 children with CPP and CP (median age (range) at diagnosis of...

Background: Foramen magnum stenosis (FMS) is a common, serious complication of achondroplasia in infancy. The Achondroplasia Foramen Magnum Score (AFMS; 1-4) was developed to facilitate early detection of stenosis and inform appropriate neurosurgical management. All infants have a baseline screening MRI, of which approximately half of cases demonstrate AFMS3 (craniovertebral junction (CVJ) narrowing with flattening of the cervical cord) or AFMS4 (CVJ narrowing...

Background: minipuberty (MP) consists in a postnatal activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which occurs physiologically in both sexes during the first months of life. FSH and LH peak between 1 and 3 months, stimulating sex hormones secretion. In preterm infants, MP might lead to a stronger and more protracted hormonal stimulation, even if specific literature data are limited and not univocal. Immaturity of the hypothalamic feedback has been ...

Introduction: Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) has recently been described in patients with isolated or syndromic neurodevelopmental disorders, with greater attention from the scientific community. We carried out this study to compare the main aspects of non-isolated and isolated forms of CPP.Methods: We conducted a retrospective monocentric study, collecting all treated cases of CPP from 1st January 2013 to 31 December ...

Background: Conflicting outcomes have been reported about the role of low IGF1 levels in predicting irradiation-dependent GHD in CCS. IGF1 <−2SD had a sensitivity between 28 and 47% in different studies, but these results were drawn from small samples of patients or from mixed cohorts including patients with GHD due to different aetiologies.Objective: Our aim was to analyse the screening role of low IGF1 levels in CCS at risk of developing GHD ...

Background: Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS, OMIM #530000) is a rare disease belonging to a heterogeneous group of mitochondrial cytopathies. KSS is caused by deletions and/or duplications in the mitochondrial DNA, which lead to the dysfunction of the respiratory chain and to disorders in tissues with a high energy demands (muscle, nervous system).Case presentation: The girl was admitted to the hospital at the age of 13 years with the suspision of KSS. Progre...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a rare genetic disease characterized by facial dysmorphism, short stature, heart defects, chest deformities, and variable developmental delay/learning disabilities. Almost 80% of patients have a mutation in the genes encoding components of the RAS/MAPK pathway. Puberty was described as delayed in NS patients, but few studies are focusing on this subject and genotype-phenotype correlations so far.<s...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a frequent autosomal dominant disorder characterized by facial dysmorphisms, heart defects, short stature and learning disabilities. It is caused by mutations in genes within the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, thus called RASopathies. The RAS/MAPK pathway can also impact the signal transduction of hormones involved in body weight, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism features scarcely studied only in animal models. This study aimed to describe me...