ESPE Abstracts

Background: Intrathyroidal ectopic thymus (IET) represents a relatively rare embryologic anomaly, often discovered incidentally in paediatric patients. The long-term outcome of IET is not completely clear and differentiation from thyroid nodules is crucial to prevent invasive diagnostic procedures and/or unnecessary surgical interventions. This prospective observational study aims to elucidate the clinical characteristics, diagnostic workup, and long-term outc...

Background: Monocarboxylate-transporter 8 (MCT8) deficiency, also known as Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS), is associated with severe motoric and intellectual developmental delay. The pathophysiology is characterized by central hypothyroidism (due to transporter defect) and peripheral hyperthyroidism with thyrotoxicosis. There is often an increase in the peripheral T3 values and a decrease in the T4 values. In addition, numerous comorbidities can be held ...

Background: Children with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) require glucocorticoid replacement. In addition to auxological examinations, laboratory measurements of e.g. 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione in serum are also necessary to assess the required dosage of hydrocortisone. Another possibility for measuring precursor steroids is hair analysis, which has not yet been carried out in children with this issue. The role of so-called 11-ox...

Introduction: Craniopharyngiomas (CP) are rare pediatric intracranial tumors (1.2-4%) with a peak of incidence between 5-14 years . We retrospectively reviewed data of 16 cases (M/F 4/12) diagnosed before 4 years of age (median follow up 7.2 years) from a cohort of 117 patients (pts) (M/F 56/41) diagnosed after 01/01/2000, followed-up in 14 Italian centres of pediatric endocrinology belonging to the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetolo...

Background: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) as adults and show a higher prevalence of MetS components.Objective and hypotheses: To define the association between low birth weight and the presence of MetS in a cohort of obese Italian children and adolescents.Method: The presence of MetS was studied in a cohort of obese (BMI >90th centile) children and adolescents consisting...

Introduction: Previous reports support the hypothesis of an age dependent derangement of the hypothalamus–pituitary axis occurring in PWS subjects. In this context, transition years represent an important phase of growth process when somatic development reaches its completion. In the general population, GH deficiency (GHD) during the transition phase is associated with deterioration of body composition, metabolic alterations and reduced bone mineral density. PWS subjects ...

Background: Currently, the diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) in infants and young children is based on the assessment of GH serum levels either during hypoglycaemia or after pharmacological stimulation tests. However, GH cut-off values have not been standardized and provocative tests may be unsafe in this age range.Objective and hypotheses: Brain MRI may replace GH measurements in diagnosing GHD in infancy and young childhood.Method...

Background: G6PD deficiency is conventionally affiliated with drug induced oxidative stress, but an association with diabetes mellitus is seldom reported. Hypertriglyceridemia from insulin deficiency can be the cause of severe pancreatitis complicating DKA in children.Case report: A 14-year-old Bulgarian boy, no significant past medical history, hospitalized in Pediatric Surgery Department for abdominal pain, hematemesis insorted during a cruise trip. Re...

Background: According to international guidelines Prader-Willi children during GH treatment must be closely monitored by polysomnography, ENT evaluation and IGF1 levels.Objective and hypotheses: The study aims to determine whether the modulation of GH therapy in children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome with a specific decisional score (POI score; Salvatoni A., Horm Res Paediatr. 2012) changes and to what extent the results of the therapy.<...

Background: Neonatal vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can result in symptomatic hypocalcemia, seizures and cardiomyopathy and has been associated with reduced bone mineralization in childhood, but is potentially preventable with antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the vitamin D metabolism pathway are associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in adulthood. We assessed whether maternal and/or offspring SNPs in ...