Clinical endocrinology
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Clinical endocrinology · Apr 2007
Adequacy of current postglucose GH nadir limit (< 1 microg/l) to define long-lasting remission of acromegalic disease.
Some authors proposed to lower the present postglucose GH nadir cut-off (i.e. < 1 microg/l) to that obtained in healthy subjects to establish remission of acromegaly. The aim of the study was to correlate GH nadir with hormonal and metabolic parameters and to confirm the adequacy of the current limit to define disease remission. ⋯ The current GH nadir limit is still adequate to define both short- and long-lasting remission of acromegaly, independently of the type of definitive treatment. Patients with the lowest GH nadir should probably be monitored long-term for adequacy of their GH secretion.
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Clinical endocrinology · Apr 2007
Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function and the Tei index by tissue Doppler imaging in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.
The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function and myocardial performance (the Tei index) by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). ⋯ TDI analysis of mitral annular velocities, Em/Am and the Tei index is useful for assessing LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with PHPT. The parameters obtained from the lateral mitral annulus by TDI can be used for the identification of LV diastolic dysfunction in PHPT patients.
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Clinical endocrinology · Mar 2007
Kickboxing sport as a new cause of traumatic brain injury-mediated hypopituitarism.
Traumatic brain injury, which is a frequent and a worldwide important public health problem, may result in pituitary dysfunction. Concussion, a common type of lesion after traumatic brain injury, is an injury associated with sports including boxing and kickboxing. Kickboxing is one of the most popular martial arts and approximately 1-million people around the world participate in kickboxing sport. Head is the most common site of injury in amateur and professional kickboxers. Pituitary consequences of chronic repetitive head trauma in kickboxing have not been investigated until now. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the pituitary function in both retired and active amateur kickboxers. ⋯ Present data clearly demonstrate for the first time that amateur kickboxing is a novel cause of hypopituitarism and kickboxers are at a risk for hypopituitarism especially isolated GH deficiency. Therefore, participants of the combative sports who were exposed to chronic repetitive head trauma need to be screened.
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Clinical endocrinology · Feb 2007
Cortisol secretary pattern and glucocorticoid feedback sensitivity in women from a Mediterranean area: relationship with anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake and plasma fatty acid profile.
Chronic stress is associated with a dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis consisting on disturbances on the cortisol response and lipid metabolism. ⋯ A disturbed HPA axis is associated with abdominal fat distribution and a higher content of fat and saturated fatty acids in the diet. Women who chose a dietary pattern closer to the Mediterranean diet, with high monounsaturated fatty acid intake, showed lower levels on HPA axis disturbance.
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Clinical endocrinology · Jan 2007
Combined clinical, thyroid ultrasound and cytological features help to predict thyroid malignancy in follicular and Hupsilonrthle cell thyroid lesions: results from a series of 505 consecutive patients.
The cytological patterns of follicular and Hupsilonrthle cell nodules are included among the indeterminate results of fine-needle aspiration cytology, because distinction between benign and malignant lesion can only be made on histological criteria. The diagnostic value of atypia at cytology, clinical parameters and echographic patterns were examined to establish the risk of malignancy in 505 patients with follicular and Hupsilonrthle cell thyroid nodules at cytology. ⋯ Twenty-five per cent of patients with a cytological result of follicular and Hupsilonrthle cell thyroid lesion had a final diagnosis of malignancy. Only atypia at cytology and spot microcalcifications at thyroid ultrasound were significantly associated with malignancy. Other clinical parameters and thyroid ultrasound patterns can be used to set up a clinical score useful for predicting the individual risk of malignancy before surgery.