Patient Demographics > Country of Treatment > Australia

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Bronwyn G A Stuckey Keogh Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

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James D Nolan Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

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David M Hurley Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

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Graeme B Martin School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

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Summary

A 33-year-old man with Kallmann syndrome had received pulsatile GnRH as an infant for the treatment of cryptorchidism. As an adult, his treatment for fertility with gonadotrophins was unusually rapid compared with expectations, with a total sperm count of 25 million after only 12 months of gonadotrophin therapy. We propose that pulsatile GnRH treatment as an infant induced minipuberty and facilitated his successful, rapid response to therapy. We also propose that identification of the absence of minipuberty in infants with clinical signs suggesting congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (CHH) is an opportunity for intervention with pulsatile GnRH yielding benefits for fertility decades later.

Learning points

  • Absence of minipuberty in males with CHH results in low Sertoli cell numbers and delayed response to induction of spermatogenesis in adulthood.

  • Presentation with 'red flags' for androgen deficiency including cryptorchidism at birth, with or without micropenis, should prompt screening for CHH and minipuberty by measurement of gonadotrophins and testosterone in the first 2 months after birth.

  • Pulsatile GnRH therapy in patients with CHH, given prior to age of attainment of Sertoli cell maturation, can replicate the normal physiology of minipuberty, thereby priming the testis for future fertility.

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Sue Sleiman Clinical Andrology Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Feyrous Bacha Clinical Andrology Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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David J Handelsman Clinical Andrology Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Summary

We report the successful delivery of a healthy baby after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with frozen-thawed autologous sperm, cryostored for 26 years, the longest successful autologous sperm cryostorage reported. Sperm was cryostored for a 15-year-old boy at the time of his cancer diagnosis. Semen samples were frozen with cryoprotectant, using a graduated vapour-phase nitrogen protocol. Straws were stored in a large vapour-phase nitrogen tank until transfer for use. The couple underwent a single ICSI–in vitro fertilisation procedure using the frozen-thawed sperm with a transfer of five fertilised embryos, resulting in the live birth of a healthy baby boy. This reinforces the importance of offering sperm cryopreservation to men who have not completed their family prior to gonadotoxic treatment for cancer or other diseases. As practical, low-cost fertility insurance, it should be offered to any young man who can collect semen and it provides essentially unlimited duration of fertility preservation.

Learning points

  • Gonadotoxic chemo or radiotherapy treatment for cancer or other diseases usually causes temporary or permanent male infertility.

  • Sperm cryostorage serves as a practical, low-cost insurance to facilitate future paternity.

  • All men who have not completed their families and are scheduled for gonadotoxic treatments should be offered sperm cryostorage.

  • There is no lower age limit for young men who can collect semen.

  • Sperm cryostorage offers essentially indefinite duration for the preservation of male fertility.

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Mawson Wang Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Markus J Seibel Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Concord Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

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Summary

We report the case of a 69-year-old female with systemic mastocytosis, diagnosed based on widespread pigmented papules and macules, elevated serum tryptase levels and confirmatory skin and bone marrow biopsy, on a background of osteoporosis. A CT demonstrated multiple sclerotic lesions within lumbar vertebral bodies, sacrum and ileum, with surrounding osteolysis but no obvious compression fractures. She was treated with the RANK-L inhibitor denosumab, resulting in significant bone mineral density gain over the following 5 years. However, her serum tryptase levels gradually increased during this period despite treatment with the multikinase inhibitor, midostaurin. It is thus conceivable that her rapid increase in bone mineral density may be partly contributed by a predominance of pro-osteoblastic mediators released by abnormal mast cells, suggestive of more advanced disease. This case highlights the complexities of systemic mastocytosis-related bone disease and the interplay of numerous mediators contributing to a phenotype of both increased bone resorption and formation.

Learning points

  • Systemic mastocytosis is a neoplastic disease of mast cells characterized by abnormal proliferation and accumulation in the skin and other organs. It is most frequently associated with the somatic gain-of-function KIT D816V mutation.

  • Systemic mastocytosis should be suspected in patients presenting with not only cutaneous symptoms suggestive of mast cell degranulation such as anaphylaxis, flushing or urticaria but also unexplained osteoporosis and gastrointestinal and constitutional symptoms.

  • The prevalence of osteoporosis in systemic mastocytosis is high. Mast cell activation leads to the secretion of numerous chemical mediators which either promote or inhibit osteoclastic and/or osteoblastic activity, with the balance usually in favour of increased bone resorption. However, in advanced diseases with high mast cell burden, mast-cell-derived cytokines and mediators may promote osteoblastic activity, leading to osteosclerosis and apparent increases in bone mineral density.

  • Treatment of osteoporosis in systemic mastocytosis involves antiresorptive therapy with bisphosphonates and more recently, denosumab. There are limited data on the role of osteoanabolic agents.

Open access
Prishila Fookeerah Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia

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Mark McLean Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia

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Summary

The anatomy of the pituitary fossa is complex. The wall of the fossa can vary, resulting in inconsistencies in the nature and integrity of the sella barrier. Cerebrospinal fluid is generally confined to the subarachnoid space and does not circulate freely in the pituitary fossa. Spontaneous haemorrhage in the fossa typically occurs in the context of pre-existing intrasellar pathology such as a pituitary adenoma. Extravasation of blood into the subarachnoid space can rarely be observed following pituitary apoplexy. We describe the unique occurrence of subarachnoid haemorrhage in a largely empty pituitary fossa after the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm.

Learning points

  • Pituitary apoplexy and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) are both high in the differential diagnosis of sudden onset severe headaches.

  • Haemorrhagic pituitary apoplexy may result in extravasation into the subarachnoid space, resulting in typical SAH symptoms and signs.

  • This is the first reported case of primary SAH resulting in blood pooling in an empty sella arising from previous surgical resection of a large macroadenoma.

Open access
Beryl Lin Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

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Stephen M Twigg Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Sydney Medical School (Central), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

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Summary

Functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a relatively common condition in middle-aged to elderly men that can significantly impair quality of life. Besides lifestyle optimisation, androgen replacement remains the mainstay of treatment; however, its adverse effects on spermatogenesis and testicular atrophy are undesirable. Clomiphene citrate is a selective oestrogen receptor modulator that acts centrally to increase endogenous testosterone without affecting fertility. Although it has demonstrated effectiveness in shorter-duration studies, its longer-term outcomes are less well-documented. In this study, we report the case of a 42-year-old male with functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism who sustained an excellent dose-dependent, titratable clinical and biochemical response to clomiphene citrate with no known adverse effects for 7 years to date. This case highlights that clomiphene citrate has potential as a safe and titratable longer-term treatment option, and the need for further randomised control trials in therapy options to normalise androgen status.

Learning points

  • Functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a relatively common, but likely underdiagnosed, condition in middle-aged to older males.

  • Testosterone replacement is the current mainstay of endocrine therapy but can cause sub-fertility and testicular atrophy.

  • Clomiphene citrate is a serum oestrogen receptor modulator that acts centrally to increase endogenous testosterone production without affecting fertility.

  • It has potential as a safe and efficacious longer-term treatment option that can be titrated to increase testosterone and relieve clinical symptoms in a dose-dependent manner.

  • Longitudinal prospective studies as randomised control trials evaluating alternatives to exogenous testosterone are required.

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Chelsea Tan Bendigo Health, Victoria, Australia

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Jessica Triay Bendigo Health, Victoria, Australia

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Summary

A 64-year-old man with progressive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate adenocarcinoma presented with recurrent fluid overload, severe hypokalaemia with metabolic alkalosis and loss of glycaemic control. Clinical features were facial plethora, skin bruising and proximal myopathy. Plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), serum cortisol and 24-h urinary cortisol levels were elevated. Low-dose dexamethasone failed to suppress cortisol. Pituitary MRI was normal and 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET–CT scan showed only features of metastatic prostate cancer. He was diagnosed with ectopic ACTH syndrome secondary to treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer differentiation. Medical management was limited by clinical deterioration, accessibility of medications and cancer progression. Ketoconazole and cabergoline were utilised, but cortisol remained uncontrolled. He succumbed 5 months following diagnosis. Treatment-related neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate adenocarcinoma is a rare cause of ectopic ACTH syndrome.

Learning points

  • Neuroendocrine differentiation following prostate adenocarcinoma treatment with androgen deprivation has been described.

  • Ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) syndrome should be considered where patients with metastatic prostate cancer develop acute electrolyte disturbance or fluid overload.

  • Ketoconazole interferes with adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis and can be used in ectopic ACTH syndrome, but the impact may be insufficient. Inhibition of gonadal steroidogenesis is favourable in prostate cancer.

  • More data are required to evaluate the use of cabergoline in ectopic ACTH syndrome.

  • Ectopic ACTH syndrome requires prompt management and is challenging in the face of metastatic cancer.

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Samuel R Miller Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Shejil Kumar Endocrinology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Alexander Yuile Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Alexander M Menzies Melanoma Institute Australia; The University of Sydney; Faculty of Medicine and Health; The University of Sydney, Royal North Shore and Mater Hospitals, Sydney, Australia

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Summary

Hypercalcaemia is a common complication seen in malignancy, frequently due to paraneoplastic parathyroid hormone-related peptide production or osteolytic bony metastases. We present a 58-year-old female with immunotherapy-mediated hypophysitis causing secondary cortisol deficiency resulting in severe glucocorticoid-responsive hypercalcaemia. Whilst hypophysitis is a well recognised adverse event in those receiving immunotherapy for advanced malignancy, it does not typically present with hypercalcaemia. The mechanism responsible for hypercalcaemia due to hypocortisolaemia has not been fully elucidated although hypotheses include the effects of volume depletion and thyroxine’s action on bone. Prompt treatment with glucocorticoids caused an improvement in the patient’s symptoms and corrected her hypercalcaemia which later returned after an attempted glucocorticoid wean. With the increasing uptake of immunotherapy, clinicians should be aware of this unusual presentation of immunotherapy-related hypophysitis and secondary hypocortisolaemia which can be life-threatening if the diagnosis is delayed.

Learning points

  • Immunotherapy can cause inflammation of the pituitary gland resulting in secondary hypocortisolaemia, which can, though rarely, present as hypercalcaemia.

  • Secondary hypocortisolaemia requires prompt recognition and treatment with glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid replacement leads to rapid clinical and biochemical improvement in these patients.

  • The differential diagnosis for glucocorticoid-responsive hypercalcaemia extends beyond granulomatous disorders (e.g. sarcoidosis, tuberculosis) to adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol deficiency, particularly in patients receiving immunotherapy.

  • Hypocortisolaemia can lead to hypercalcaemia through various proposed mechanisms. Low serum glucocorticoids are associated with reduced blood volume, thus reducing renal calcium excretion. In addition, without glucocorticoid’s inhibitory action, thyroxine appears to drive calcium mobilisation from bone.

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Bridget Cooper St Vincent’s Hospital, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Australia

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Kenrick Blaker St Vincent’s Hospital, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Australia

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Jerry R Greenfield St Vincent’s Hospital, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Australia

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Summary

We present a case of a 42-year-old man who developed acute onset severe hypertriglyceridaemia within days of commencing olanzapine therapy. Despite having a family history of metabolic syndrome, he had no personal history of hyperlipidaemia and had normal fasting lipids 1 week prior to treatment initiation. His case is consistent with a diagnosis of multifactorial chylomicronaemia syndrome with a possible undiagnosed underlying genetic lipid metabolism disorder. Our case highlights the difficulty in identifying patients at risk of severe hypertriglyceridaemia prior to the commencement of olanzapine.

Learning points

  • Atypical antipsychotic medications, in particular olanzapine and clozapine, are associated with metabolic side effects.

  • Olanzapine can precipitate acute onset severe hypertriglyceridaemia consistent with multifactorial chylomicronaemia syndrome.

  • It is difficult to predict individuals at risk of olanzapine-induced hypertriglyceridaemia.

  • This case demonstrates the importance of metabolic screening prior to the commencement of olanzapine and the possibility of repeating fasting serum lipids soon thereafter.

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Cun An Phang Cun An PHANG Medical Student, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

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Shejil Kumar Shejil KUMAR Endocrinology Advanced Trainee, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Peter Rohl Peter ROHL Staff Specialist in Endocrinology, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia

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Summary

The rapid rise in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors as systemic cancer therapy has seen the emergence of immunotherapy-induced diabetes, a severe irreversible immunotherapy-related adverse event. Affected patients typically present with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and low C-peptide consistent with insulin deficiency secondary to autoimmune β-cell destruction. We present the unusual case of a 61-year-old female with metastatic ampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma with primary tumour adjacent to the pancreatic head. She was commenced on immunotherapy after conventional systemic chemotherapy. Acute-onset hyperglycaemia was detected after 7 weeks on weekly blood glucose monitoring, with no glucocorticoid use or prior history of diabetes. On presentation, there was no evidence of DKA, and her glycated haemoglobin level was within the normal non-diabetic range at 5.3%, reflecting the acuity of her presentation. Initial serum C-peptide was preserved; however, it became undetectable a few weeks later, confirming insulin deficiency. We describe a case of atypical presentation of immunotherapy-induced diabetes, review the existing literature on this emerging clinical entity and discuss the differential diagnosis for new-onset diabetes mellitus in patients with metastatic cancer.

Learning points

  • Regular proactive glycaemic monitoring in patients receiving immunotherapy, particularly antibodies against programmed death ligand 1 and PD1, can facilitate very early detection of immunotherapy-induced diabetes, prompting insulin commencement and avoiding life-threatening presentations of diabetic ketoacidosis.

  • Glycated haemoglobin can be within the normal range in patients diagnosed acutely with immunotherapy-induced diabetes.

  • Serum C-peptide can be preserved initially in patients diagnosed with immunotherapy-induced diabetes but is likely to become undetectable during their illness.

  • New-onset diabetes in patients with metastatic cancer carries a broad differential diagnosis.

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Cody Harper Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Saint John, NB, Canada

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James Michael Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB, Canada

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Tarek Rahmeh Department of Pathology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB, Canada

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Vicki Munro Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

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Summary

The most common sites of distant metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are lung and bone. Widespread distant metastases of PTC are rare and associated with poor overall prognosis. Metastases to sites such as liver and pancreas are extremely rare, and literature is sparse on overall survival. In this report, we present a 57-year-old man whose initial presentation of PTC was with pancreatic, liver, and lung metastases, and subsequently developed metastases to bone and brain. He underwent a total thyroidectomy, neck dissection, and tracheal resection. Pathology revealed a predominant columnar cell variant PTC with focal areas of tall cell variant, and genomic sequencing showed both PIK3CA and BRAF gene mutations. Radioactive iodine ablation with I-131 did not show any uptake in metastatic sites and he had progression of the metastases within 6 months. Therefore, therapy with lenvatinib was initiated for radioactive iodine refractory disease. Our patient has tolerated the lenvatinib well, and all his sites of metastases decreased in size. His liver and pancreatic lesions took longer to respond but showed response 6 months after initiation of lenvatinib, and he remains on full dose lenvatinib 18 months into treatment.

Learning points

  • Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) usually metastasizes to lung and bone but can rarely occur in many other sites.

  • Patients with distant metastases have significantly worse long-term prognosis.

  • Lenvatinib can be an effective treatment of radioactive iodine refractory PTC with rare sites of distant metastases.

  • Lenvatinib can be an effective treatment of PTC with BRAF V600E and PIK3CA mutation.

Open access