ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Hormonal therapy: estrogen therapy (ET) and estrogen-progestogen therapy (EPT), in postmenopausal women has to be individualized, taking into account benefits and potential risks, as part of a global strategy of health management. The randomized controlled clinical trials of the past decade have changed the general thinking in the field, leading to the mostly accepted theory of initiating hormone therapy in symptomatic women, near the menopause, in the so-called “window of opportunity”, when estrogens may be cardioprotective because the vascular endothelium is still intact, and may even be beneficial for some cognitive domains. The second point suggested is the use of lower doses of hormone therapy for the shortest period of time, necessarily to solve the problem. The main indications for initiating hormone therapy are: moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary complaints, and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In all women with an intact uterus who are using estrogen therapy, an adequate progestogen has to be added in a continuous or sequential regimen, in order to prevent endometrium carcinoma. The use of hormonal menopausal therapy for about five years does not seem to be associated with significant risks, such as breast cancer, cardiovascular risk, if therapy is initiated in the late menopausal transition and early postmenopausal, symptomatic women. Venous thromboembolism and stroke remain the main serious risks of taking hormone therapy. There are no data at present to support the indication of hormone therapy in older women in order to prevent chronic medical conditions, like coronary heart disease or dementia, as secondary prevention.

-

Context. Benefits of vitamin D therapies in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are debated. Objective. To compare the effects of medium-term native (VitD) and active (VDRA) vitamin D on parameters of mineral metabolism and arterial function in non-dialysis CKD. Design. Open-label, active comparator, randomized study. Subjects and Methods. Forty-eight adult patients, vitamin D naïve, CKD stage 3 to 5 with increased parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were randomized to receive either oral cholecalciferol 1000UI/day (n=24) or paricalcitol 1mcg/day (n=24) for 6 months. Median changes at end of study vs. baseline in serum calcidiol, iPTH, total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) were the efficacy parameters. Results. Higher increase in calcidiol (15.5 [95%CI 13.3; 17.2] vs. 0.4 [95%CI −6.1; 3.7]ng/mL, p<0.001) were found in VitD group. Conversely, the decline of iPTH (−35.2 [95%CI −83; 9] vs. 13.3 [95%CI −8.1; 35]pg/mL, p=0.008) and ALP (−34 [95%CI −58; −11] vs. −10 [95%CI −23; −2] U/L, p=0.02) were greater after paricalcitol. More subjects experienced iPTH decrease in VDRA group (71% vs. 39%, p=0.03). The variation in CAVI and the incidence of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia were similar. Conclusions. It seems that secondary hyperparathyroidism was more efficiently treated by VDRA, whereas cholecalciferol better corrected the calcidiol deficiency in non-dialysis CKD.

Background. Parathyromatosis is a rare clinical condition where hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue is scattered in the neck and the mediastinum. It is difficult to diagnose and manage due to recurrent or persistent hyperparathyroidism. Case report. We present a peculiar case of hyperparathyroidism as the parathyroid tissue was in unusual location. Scintigraphy done revealed a lesion suspicious for ectopic parathyroid tissue in the retrosternum in a 58 years old female patient with primary hyperparathyroidism. No pathologic lesions were found on neck exploration, subsequently, sternotomy was performed and suspicious lesion removed but microscopic evaluation of the frozen section found no parathyroid tissue in the resected specimen. A decision to perform thymectomy and total resection of pericardial fatty tissue was made. Final histopathology revealed parathyromatosis and confirmed the first case of pericardial type 1 parathyromatosis. Conclusion. Long-term remission is rare in these patients, sometimes needing medical treatment and multiple surgeries. In this patient, there was no recurrence during the four years follow-up. In patients with no history of neck surgery, primary parathyromatosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism.

Background. Hip fractures are a major issue of public health as they are responsible for high morbidity, excess mortality and costs. There are differences in Europe and worldwide in the incidence rates of hip fractures and time trends, in the context of the population aging. Ten years ago, we characterized the incidence of hip fracture in Romania using data from the national hospital discharge register. Objective. This is the first Romanian study to assess the hip fracture incidence rates over a period of 11 years, between 2008 and 2018. Subjects and Methods. This analysis is a nationwide retrospective study on hospitals reporting primary DRG data on hip fracture, using a rigorous definition with both diagnostic and surgical procedure codes. The population aged 40+ was stratified in 5-year intervals and both the crude incidence rates and the adjusted incidence rates of hip fracture using standardization on age for the 2018 reference population were calculated in women and men. Results. From 2008 to 2018, the number of hip fractures rose by 53 % in women (from 7513 to 11512) and 22.4 % in men (from 4266 to 5220). Meanwhile, the Romanian population over 40 years increased by 12.5% in women and 14.2% in men. The crude incidence rate rose by 36.2% in women and 7.2% in men and the age-standardized incidence rates by 27.4% in women and 6% in men. These increases are mostly based on 85+ age populations’ changes. Conclusions. In Romania, the hip fractures incidence continues to grow throughout an 11-year-period, especially in women, representing an increasing burden for our society.

More and more couples are postponing their desire to have children until later periods in life. This is accompanied by a variety of both, medical and social problems. It is known that fertility in women begins to decline gradually from the age of 25 and decreases rapidly from the age of 35. On the other hand, many couples in the fourth decade of life are significantly involved in their careers and are sometimes even physically separated. This means that the probability of conception is inherently reduced, because sexual intercourse cannot take place regularly on fertile days. We report on a 35-year-old patient in whom we programmed the cycle with the progestin pill drospirenone, which resulted in a spontaneous conception and the birth of a healthy child.

Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disease with characteristic symptoms and signs such as fatigue, weight gain, intolerance of cold, constipation, depression, mental slowdown and muscle cramps. Myopathic changes are observed in 30-80% of patients with hypothyroidism, but muscular hypertrophy with muscle stiffness has been reported in less than 10% of patients. Hoffmann’s syndrome is a specific form of the hypothyroid-associated myopathy, rarely seen. Symptoms of this syndrome include proximal muscle weakness, hypertrophies in extremities, stiffness, muscle cramps, spontaneous muscle pain; and are associated with increased muscle enzymes. These findings can be seen at any time during hypothyroidism. Hofmann’s syndrome has a very good prognosis. Its response to hormone replacement therapy is very good. Therefore, in patients with myopathylike symptoms, considering in the differential diagnosis that the myopathy may be a reflection of hypothyroidism will facilitate the diagnosis and treatment. In this case, we aimed to present together Hashimoto thyroiditis and muscular hypertrophy, which is an atypical presentation of hypothyroidism and rarely seen in the literature, namely Hoffmann’s syndrome.

-

Our recent studies, led on 1336 tumor samples coming from 11 types of cancer, published in the New England Journal of Medicine 367:1621-1630 show that the receptor of the follicule-stimulating hormone (FSH receptor) is expressed in a preferential way in the tumor blood vessels. No expression has been detected at the level of the blood vessels in healthy tissues, with the exception of the reproductive organs where it is present in much lower concentrations than in tumors. Being directly accessible to the intravenously delivered agents, the FSH receptor can be used as target for cancer imaging and drug delivery.

The diagnostic classification of osteoporosis is based on dual-energy X-ray\r\nabsorptiometry (DXA). Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) bone densitometry represents an\r\nalternative noninvasive technique used in the assessment of bone status in osteoporosis. The\r\nparameters measured by QUS are associated with overall bone strength: speed of sound\r\n(SOS) is influenced by bone elasticity and density, and the broadband ultrasound attenuation\r\n(BUA) is determined by bone density and microarchitecture. QUS benefits, like: low cost,\r\nlack of ionizing radiation, readily-accessible and portability of the measurement units,\r\nincreased the acceptance by patients and physicians and made QUS an attractive alternative\r\nfor screening programs in osteoporosis.\r\nUltrasound parameters consistently showed an inverse correlation with age, with\r\nsignificant decreases after menopause and at the same time proved to be effective for\r\ndiscriminating between normal and osteoporotic subjects. Heel QUS is proven, like central\r\nDXA, to predict hip fractures and all osteoporotic fractures in elderly women.\r\nDespite its proven advantages, in parallel with the great variety of commercial\r\nultrasound devices, the optimal use of QUS in clinical practice was a matter of debate. The\r\nInternational Society for Clinical Densitometry recently defined a Position Statement\r\naddressed to the clinical application of QUS.