ESPE Abstracts

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...

Craniopharyngiomas (CP) are rare, partly cystic and calcified embryonic malformations of the sellar/parasellar region with low histological grade (WHO Io). A bimodal age distribution has been shown, with peak incidence rates in childhood-onset at 5–14 yr and adult-onset CP at 50–74 yr. Clinical manifestations are related to hypothalamic/pituitary deficiencies, visual impairment, and increased intracranial pressure. Recent insight in molecular pathogenesis of CP opens...

Background: Childhood onset growth hormone deficiency (CO-GHD) may contribute to low bone mass and alterations of body composition. However, the mechanisms by which CO-GHD effects bone health are not yet clearly defined.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate musculoskeletal health in CO-GHD subjects at initial evaluation and retesting after final height.Method: A cross-sectional study of assessing bone health and body composition by...

Background: Turner syndrome (TS) is one of the most common genetic disorders in females and occurs in phenotypic females who are missing all or part of one sex chromosome. While the most common mosaic forms of the disorder are 45,X/46,XX and 45,X/46,Xiq, mosaicism for cells containing Y chromosome material is well documented.Objective and hypotheses: Owing to increased risk of gonadoblastoma (GB), current recommendations are for elective gonadectomy foll...

Background: Secondary pseudohypoaldosteronism (PHA) type 1 is an uncommon salt losing condition of infancy caused by transient resistance of the mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) of the renal tubule to aldosterone. This can be secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI), urinary tract malformation (UTM) or obstructive uropathy. Ninety percent of reported cases present before 3 months and nearly all are under 7 months of age.Objective and hypotheses: The co...

Background: Ireland has a high incidence of type 1 diabetes in childhood (16.8/100, 000 per year (1). A small percentage of children with diabetes have maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) (2). Establishing the correct diagnosis is critical to optimal therapy and future genetic counselling (3).Objective and hypothesis: To review the cohort of children attending our tertiary diabetes service and describe the clinical features of those where MODY wa...

Background: Anogenital distance (AGD) is an indicator of androgen action in utero. Reduced AGD has been found in males with hypospadias, cryptorchidism, low semen quality and infertility. Its usefulness as a clinical marker in patients with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) is currently being investigated. However, detailed age, sex and method related reference ranges do not exist. Whether individual (body-size-adjusted) AGD is stable postnatally also remains to be e...

Background: FSH stimulates ovarian follicle maturation and estradiol synthesis which is responsible for breast development. Age at pubertal onset varies substantially among healthy girls. Although more than half of the variation is heritable, only a small part has been attributed to specific genetic polymorphisms identified so far.Objective and Hypotheses: We assessed the effect on pubertal onset of three genetic polymorphisms affecting FSH action.<p...

Background: In contrast to hypoglycaemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism, there are patients with a similar metabolic profile of hypoketotic hypoglycaemia, but low insulin levels and relatively low glucose requirements to maintain euglycaemia. So far, four patients with activating mutations in the insulin signal-transducing kinase AKT2 have been described, each also showing a syndromic phenotype including hemihypertrophy.Objective and hypotheses: We pr...

Introduction: The European Registries for Rare Endocrine Conditions (EuRRECa) project aims to support the needs of the endocrine and bone community by facilitating the collaboration between patients, health care professionals and researchers across Europe and beyond. It is a project funded by the European Union’s health programme and is the affiliated registry of the European Reference Network for Rare Endocrine Conditions (Endo-ERN). It consists of two r...