Clinical Overview > Hormone > LH

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Yew Wen Yap Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Crewe, UK

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Steve Ball Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

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Zubair Qureshi Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Crewe, UK

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Summary

The coexistence of primary hypothyroidism and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-stimulating pituitary macroadenoma can be a rare occurrence and can make diagnosis very challenging. We describe a case of a 44-year-old female with a history of fatigue, poor concentration, weight gain and amenorrhoea together with biochemical evidence of primary autoimmune hypothyroidism. Her initial TSH levels were elevated with low normal free thyroxine (T4) levels. Levothyroxine treatment was initiated and the dose was gradually titrated to supraphysiologic doses. This led to the normalisation of her TSH levels but her free T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) levels remained persistently elevated. This prompted a serum prolactin check which returned elevated at 2495 µ/L, leading onto pituitary imaging. A MRI of the pituitary gland revealed a pituitary macroadenoma measuring 2.4 × 2 × 1.6 cm. Despite starting her on cabergoline therapy with a reduction in her prolactin levels, her TSH levels began to rise even further. Additional thyroid assays revealed that she had an abnormally elevated alpha subunit at 3.95 (age-related reference range <3.00). This corresponded to a thyroid-secreting hormone pituitary macroadenoma. She went on to have a transphenoidal hypophysectomy. Histology revealed tissues staining for TSH, confirming this to be a TSH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. This case highlighted the importance of further investigations with thyroid assay interferences, heterophile antibodies, alpha subunit testing and anterior pituitary profile in cases of resistant and non-resolving primary hypothyroidism.

Learning points:

  • Levothyroxine treatment in primary hypothyroidism can potentially unmask the presence of a latent TSH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma, which can make diagnosis very challenging.

  • A high index of suspicion should prompt clinicians to further investigate cases of primary hypothyroidism which despite increasing doses of levothyroxine treatment with normalisation of TSH, the free T4 and T3 levels remain persistently elevated.

  • Clinicians should consider investigating for adherence to levothyroxine, thyroid assay interference, heterophile antibodies, TSH dilution studies, alpha subunit and anterior pituitary profile testing to further clarity the diagnosis in these patients.

  • Although coexistent cases of TSHoma with primary hypothyroidism are rare, it should always be in the list of differential diagnoses in cases of unresolving primary hypothyroidism.

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Laura Hamilton Adams Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

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Derick Adams Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

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Summary

Co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary adenomas are rare. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of neck fullness. Ultrasound revealed multiple thyroid nodules and examination revealed several clinical features of acromegaly. She was found to have a co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary macroadenoma. She underwent surgical resection followed by gamma knife radiation, which resulted in complete remission of her TSH and GH-secreting adenoma.

Learning points:

  • TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare and about one-third co-secrete other hormones.

  • Thyroid nodules are common in acromegaly and can be the presenting sign of a growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma.

  • In the workup of acromegaly, assessment of other pituitary hormones is essential, even in the absence of symptoms of other pituitary hormone dysfunction.

  • Complete remission of co-secreting GH and TSH pituitary macroadenomas is possible with surgery and radiation alone.

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Daniela Regazzo Department of Medicine DIMED, Endocrinology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Marina Paola Gardiman Department of Medicine DIMED, Surgical Pathology & Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Marily Theodoropoulou Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany

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Carla Scaroni Department of Medicine DIMED, Endocrinology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Gianluca Occhi Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Filippo Ceccato Department of Medicine DIMED, Endocrinology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Summary

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant multisystem hereditary cutaneous condition, characterized by multiple hamartomas. In rare cases, pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) have been described in patients with TSC, but the causal relationship between these two diseases is still under debate. TSC is mostly caused by mutations of two tumor suppressor genes, encoding for hamartin (TSC1) and tuberin (TSC2), controlling cell growth and proliferation. Here, we present the case of a 62-year-old Caucasian woman with TSC and a silent gonadotroph PitNET with suprasellar extension, treated with transsphenoidal endoscopic neurosurgery with complete resection. Therapeutic approaches based on mTOR signaling (i.e. everolimus) have been successfully used in patients with TSC and tested in non-functioning PitNET cellular models with promising results. Here, we observed a reduction of cell viability after an in vitro treatment of PitNET’s derived primary cells with everolimus. TSC analysis retrieved no disease-associated variants with the exception of the heterozygous intronic variant c.4006-71C>T found in TSC2: the computational tools predicted a gain of a new splice site with consequent intron retention, not confirmed by an in vitro analysis of patient’s lymphocyte-derived RNA. Further analyses are therefore needed to provide insights on the possible mechanisms involving the hamartin-tuberin complex in the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas. However, our data further support previous observations of an antiproliferative effect of everolimus on PitNET.

Learning points:

  • Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are rare: only few cases have been reported in literature.

  • Therapeutic approach related to mTOR signaling, such as everolimus, may be used in some patients with PitNETs as well as those with TSC.

  • We reported a woman with both non-secreting PitNET and TSC; PitNET was surgically removed and classified as a silent gonadotroph tumor.

  • Everolimus treatment in PitNET’s-derived primary cells revealed a significant decrease in cell viability.

  • Considering our case and available evidence, it is still unclear whether a PitNET is a part of TSC or just a coincidental tumor.

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Shunsuke Funazaki Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan

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Hodaka Yamada Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan

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Kazuo Hara Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan

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San-e Ishikawa Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital, Tochigi, Japan

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Summary

Lymphocytic hypophysitis (LyH) has been known to be associated with pregnancy. We herein report the case of a 33-year-old woman who underwent vaginal delivery without massive bleeding at 40 weeks of gestation. Because of the presence of headache and terrible fatigue after childbirth, she visited our hospital. Severe hyponatremia (Na, 118 mEq/L) and visual field abnormality was noted upon examination. MRI revealed pituitary enlargement with a swollen pituitary stalk, albeit at low signal intensity. Basal pituitary hormone levels were all reduced and remained low after exogenous administration of hypothalamic-releasing hormones. She was diagnosed with LyH and was started on prednisolone 60 mg/day. A month later, her pituitary function had gradually improved together with a decrease in pituitary enlargement and recovery of her visual field. The dose of prednisolone was gradually reduced and finally withdrawn 27 months later. After prednisolone withdrawal, her pituitary function remained normal despite the absence of any hormonal replacement. A year later, she became pregnant without medication and delivered a second baby without LyH recurrence. Thereafter, her pituitary function has been normal for more than 5 years. Two valuable observations can be highlighted from the case. First, the patient completely recovered from LyH through prompt prednisolone therapy during its initial phase and had almost normal pituitary function. Second, after recovery from LyH, she was able to undergo spontaneous pregnancy and deliver a baby. We believe that reporting incidences of spontaneous pregnancy after complete normalization of pituitary function in patients with LyH is of great significance.

Learning points:

  • Females are more affected by LyH than males given its strong association with pregnancy.

  • LyH possesses characteristic findings on pituitary MRI.

  • Glucocorticoid therapy for LyH has been recommended as an effective treatment.

  • A history of previous pregnancies does not increase the risk of developing AH in subsequent pregnancies.

  • Early induction of high-dose prednisolone was therapeutically effective in treating LyH.

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Michelle Maher Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

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Federico Roncaroli University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

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Nigel Mendoza Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Karim Meeran Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Natalie Canham Liverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK

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Monika Kosicka-Slawinska London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Birgitta Bernhard London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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David Collier The William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Juliana Drummond The William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Kassiani Skordilis University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

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Nicola Tufton The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London UK

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Anastasia Gontsarova Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Niamh Martin Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Márta Korbonits The William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Florian Wernig Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

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Summary

Symptomatic pituitary adenomas occur with a prevalence of approximately 0.1% in the general population. It is estimated that 5% of pituitary adenomas occur in a familial setting, either in isolated or syndromic form. Recently, loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding succinate dehydrogenase subunits (SDHx) or MYC-associated factor X (MAX) have been found to predispose to pituitary adenomas in co-existence with paragangliomas or phaeochromocytomas. It is rare, however, for a familial SDHx mutation to manifest as an isolated pituitary adenoma. We present the case of a pituitary lactotroph adenoma in a patient with a heterozygous germline SDHB mutation, in the absence of concomitant neoplasms. Initially, the adenoma showed biochemical response but poor tumour shrinkage in response to cabergoline; therefore, transsphenoidal surgery was performed. Following initial clinical improvement, tumour recurrence was identified 15 months later. Interestingly, re-initiation of cabergoline proved successful and the lesion demonstrated both biochemical response and tumour shrinkage. Our patient’s SDHB mutation was identified when we realised that her father had a metastatic paraganglioma, prompting genetic testing. Re-inspection of the histopathological report of the prolactinoma confirmed cells with vacuolated cytoplasm. This histological feature is suggestive of an SDHx mutation and should prompt further screening for mutations by immunohistochemistry and/or genetic testing. Surprisingly, immunohistochemistry of this pituitary adenoma demonstrated normal SDHB expression, despite loss of SDHB expression in the patient’s father’s paraganglioma.

Learning points:

  • Pituitary adenomas may be the presenting and/or sole feature of SDHB mutation-related disease.

  • SDHx mutated pituitary adenomas may display clinically aggressive behaviour and demonstrate variable response to medical treatment.

  • Histological evidence of intracytoplasmic vacuoles in a pituitary adenoma might suggest an SDH-deficient tumour and should prompt further screening for SDHx mutations.

  • Immunohistochemistry may not always predict the presence of SDHx mutations.

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Carlos Tavares Bello Endocrinology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal

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Patricia Cipriano
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Vanessa Henriques
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João Sequeira Duarte
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Conceição Canas Marques
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Summary

Granular cell tumours (GCT) are rare, slow-growing, benign neoplasms that are usually located in the head and neck. They are more frequent in the female gender and typically have an asymptomatic clinical course, being diagnosed only at autopsy. Symptomatic GCT of the neurohypophysis are exceedingly rare, being less than 70 cases described so far. The authors report on a case of a 28-year-old male that presented to the Endocrinology clinic with clinical and biochemical evidence of hypogonadism. He also reported minor headaches without any major visual symptoms. Further laboratory tests confirmed hypopituitarism (hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, central hypothyroidism and hypocortisolism) and central nervous system imaging revealed a pituitary macroadenoma. The patient underwent transcranial pituitary adenoma resection and the pathology report described a GCT of the neurohypophysis with low mitotic index. The reported case is noteworthy for the rarity of the clinicopathological entity.

Learning points:

  • Symptomatic GCTs are rare CNS tumours whose cell of origin is not well defined that usually give rise to visual symptoms, headache and endocrine dysfunction.

  • Imaging is quite unspecific and diagnosis is difficult to establish preoperatively.

  • Surgical excision is challenging due to lesion’s high vascularity and propensity to adhere to adjacent structures.

  • The reported case is noteworthy for the rarity of the clinicopathological entity.

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Taieb Ach Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Hela Marmouch Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Dorra Elguiche Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Asma Achour Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology and Radiology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Hajer Marzouk Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Hanene Sayadi Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Ines Khochtali Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Mondher Golli Departments of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology and Radiology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

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Summary

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in combination with a defect in sense of smell, due to abnormal migration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-producing neurons. We report a case of a 17-year-old Tunisian male who presented with eunuchoid body proportions, absence of facial, axillary and pubic hair, micropenis and surgically corrected cryptorchidism. Associated findings included anosmia. Karyotype was 46XY and hormonal measurement hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. MRI of the brain showed bilateral agenesis of the olfactory bulbs and 3.5 mm pituitary microadenoma. Hormonal assays showed no evidence of pituitary hypersecretion.

Learning points:

  • The main clinical characteristics of KS include hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia or hyposmia.

  • MRI, as a non-irradiating technique, should be the first radiological step for investigating the pituitary gland as well as abnormalities of the ethmoid, olfactory bulbs and tracts in KS.

  • KS may include anterior pituitary hypoplasia or an empty sella syndrome. The originality of our case is that a microadenoma also may be encountered in KS. Hormonal assessment indicated the microadenoma was non-functioning. This emphasizes the importance of visualizing the pituitary region in KS patients to assess for hypoplastic pituitary malformations or adenomas.

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N Chelaghma Department of Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK

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J Rajkanna Department of Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK

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J Trotman East Midlands and East of England NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK

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G Fuller East Midlands and East of England NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK

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T Elsey East Midlands and East of England NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK

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SM Park Department of Clinical Genetics, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK

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SO Oyibo Department of Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK

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Summary

Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism is due to impaired or reduced gonadotrophin secretion from the pituitary gland. In the absence of any anatomical or functional lesions of the pituitary or hypothalamic gland, the hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism is referred to as idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (IHH). We present a case of a young lady born to consanguineous parents who was found to have IHH due to a rare gene mutation.

Learning points:

  • The genetic basis of a majority of cases of IHH remains unknown.

  • IHH can have different clinical endocrine manifestations.

  • Patients can present late to the healthcare service because of unawareness and stigmata associated with the clinical features.

  • Family members of affected individuals can be affected to varying degrees.

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Florence Gunawan Geelong University Hospital, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

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Elizabeth George
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Adam Roberts
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Summary

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the mainstay of treatment for advanced melanoma, and their use is being increasingly implicated in the development of autoimmune endocrinopathies. We present a case of a 52-year-old man with metastatic melanoma on combination nivolumab and ipilumimab therapy who developed concurrent hypophysitis, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and diabetes insipidus. He presented prior to third cycle of combination treatment with a headache, myalgias and fatigue. Biochemistry and MRI pituitary confirmed anterior pituitary dysfunction with a TSH: 0.02 mU/L (0.5–5.5 mU/L), fT4: 5.2 pmol/L (11–22 pmol/L), fT3: 4.0 pmol/L (3.2–6.4 pmol/L), cortisol (12:00 h): <9 nmol/L (74–286 nmol/L), FSH: 0.7 IU/L (1.5–9.7 IU/L), LH: <0.1 IU/L (1.8–9.2 IU/L), PRL: 1 mIU/L (90–400 mIU/L), SHBG: 34 nmol/L (19–764 nmol/L) and total testosterone: <0.4 nmol/L (9.9–27.8 nmol/L). High-dose dexamethasone (8 mg) was administered followed by hydrocortisone, thyroxine and topical testosterone replacement. Two weeks post administration of the third cycle, he became unwell with lethargy, weight loss and nocturia. Central diabetes insipidus was diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and sodium of 149 mmol/L (135–145 mmol/L). Desmopressin nasal spray was instituted with symptom resolution and normalization of serum sodium. Three weeks later, he presented again polyuric and polydipsic. His capillary glucose was 20.8 mmol/L (ketones of 2.4 mmol), low C-peptide 0.05 nmol/L (0.4–1.5 nmol/L) and HbA1c of 7.7%. T1DM was suspected, and he was commenced on an insulin infusion with rapid symptom resolution. Insulin antibodies glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), insulin antibody-2 (IA-2) and zinc transporter-8 (ZnT8) were negative. A follow-up MRI pituitary revealed findings consistent with recovering autoimmune hypophysitis. Immunotherapy was discontinued based on the extent of these autoimmune endocrinopathies.

Learning points:

  • The most effective regime for treatment of metastatic melanoma is combination immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilumimab, and this therapy is associated with a high incidence of autoimmune endocrinopathies.

  • Given the high prevalence of immune-related adverse events, the threshold for functional testing should be low.

  • Traditional antibody testing may not be reliable to identify early-onset endocrinopathy.

  • Routine screening pathways have yet to be adequately validated through clinical trials.

Open access
Syed Ali Imran Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Khaled A Aldahmani Division of Endocrinology, Tawam Hospial, Al-Ain, UAE

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Lynette Penney Department of Pediatrics, Tawam Hospial, Al-Ain, UAE

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Sidney E Croul Department of Pathology, Tawam Hospial, Al-Ain, UAE

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David B Clarke Department of Neurosurgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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David M Collier Centre for Endocrinology, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Donato Iacovazzo Centre for Endocrinology, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Márta Korbonits Centre for Endocrinology, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

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Summary

Early-onset acromegaly causing gigantism is often associated with aryl-hydrocarbon-interacting receptor protein (AIP) mutation, especially if there is a positive family history. A15y male presented with tiredness and visual problems. He was 201 cm tall with a span of 217 cm. He had typical facial features of acromegaly, elevated IGF-1, secondary hypogonadism and a large macroadenoma. His paternal aunt had a history of acromegaly presenting at the age of 35 years. Following transsphenoidal surgery, his IGF-1 normalized and clinical symptoms improved. He was found to have a novel AIP mutation destroying the stop codon c.991T>C; p.*331R. Unexpectedly, his father and paternal aunt were negative for this mutation while his mother and older sister were unaffected carriers, suggesting that his aunt represents a phenocopy.

Learning points:

  • Typical presentation for a patient with AIP mutation with excess growth and eunuchoid proportions.

  • Unusual, previously not described AIP variant with loss of the stop codon.

  • Phenocopy may occur in families with a disease-causing germline mutation.

Open access