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Biomedical subjects

J García-Uría

Publications and source records attributed to J García-Uría.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Varying additive effects of bromocriptine with two somatostatin analogs in cultures of GH-secreting adenomas.

In this study, we have investigated the effect of combined treatment using two somatostatin analogs, lanreotide or octreotide, with bromocriptine on GH release in cultures of GH-secreting pituitary tumors. Sixteen acromegalic patients were included in the study. All patients had been treated with lanreotide prior to the surgery. Five patients (31.2 %) reached GH levels below 2.0 microg/l and normal IGF-I levels according to age and sex after lanreotide treatment. A positive correlation was observed between the lanreotide-induced inhibition of GH release in vitro and serum GH decrease after lanreotide treatment (r = 0.52; p = 0.03). Combined treatment significantly inhibited GH release in vitro in 8 of the 16 tumors (50 %). However, only 5 (31.2 %) of the respective patients had been resistant to presurgical treatment with lanreotide. Three of these 5 patients (18.7 %) responded to a BC concentration similar to that achieved with therapeutic doses, and in 2 patients only when a pharmacological dose of BC was used in the combined treatment. The additive effect was observed with the combination of lanreotide and BC in 6 tumors and with octreotide and BC in 3. Only one tumor showed simultaneous response to both types of combination. These results suggest that the additive effect under the combined treatment might be found between 18 and 30 % of patients who are resistant to these drugs, and that different combinations of somatostatin analogs and dopamine agonists should be tested in resistant patients.

Acromegaly↗

The complete normalization of the adrenocortical function as the criterion of cure after transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease.

Transsphenoidal microsurgery is the standard treatment for patients with Cushing's disease. However, there is general lack of agreement regarding the definition of cure. We studied 58 patients with corrected hypercortisolism after transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease. Plasma and urinary cortisol levels were measured after surgery. After the postsurgical hypocortisolism stage (or periodically in patients without hypocortisolism), urinary free cortisol, plasma cortisol at 0800 h and 2300 h, morning cortisol after 1 mg dexamethasone, and cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were performed. Patients were classified in 3 groups: group I, patients with transient hypocortisolism and normal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis afterwards; group II, patients with transient hypocortisolism and abnormalities in the circadian rhythm or the stress response afterwards; and group III, patients without postoperative hypocortisolism. Thirty-three patients were included in group I, 8 in group II, and 17 in group III. Groups I and II were similar in postsurgical plasma cortisol (46.9 +/- 30.3 vs. 60.7 +/- 38.6 nM) and mean follow-up (69.8 vs. 68.8 months) but were significantly different in their recurrence rate (3.4% vs. 50%, P < 0.001). Patients in group III had normal postsurgical plasma and urinary cortisol but persistent abnormalities in circadian rhythm and stress response. After a mean follow-up of 39.1 months, their recurrence rate was similar to that of group II (64.7% vs. 50%). The complete normalization of the adrenocortical function, which is always preceded by postsurgical hypocortisolism, is associated with a very low recurrence risk and should be considered, in our opinion, the main criterion of surgical cure in Cushing's disease.

Adrenal Cortex↗

Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction in patients with craniopharyngioma.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of preoperative pituitary function in patients with craniopharyngioma have been limited in scope and have focused on children. We have evaluated the impact of craniopharyngiomas and their surgical treatment on pituitary function in a large group of mostly adult patients. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective study of patients treated at our centre between 1980 and 1992. PATIENTS: Twenty-two men and 13 women, most of them adults, treated surgically for craniopharyngioma during the above period. MEASUREMENTS: Serum glucose, GH, LH, FSH, TSH and cortisol were measured both before and after a combined insulin induced hypoglycaemia, GnRH and TRH test. Basal concentrations of thyroid hormones, PRL and gonadal steroids were also measured. Preoperative computed tomographic scan was performed in all patients, and a detailed study of visual function before and after surgery was available for 32 of them. Endocrine function was reevaluated post-operatively. RESULTS: In preoperative studies, 29 patients had some anterior pituitary deficit and 13 had diabetes insipidus. The most common abnormality was gonadotrophin deficiency, followed by GH deficiency. Dynamic studies suggested a hypothalamic origin for these deficits. In post-surgical evaluation, impaired pituitary function was observed in most patients. Panhypopituitarism was present in 28 cases and diabetes insipidus in 24. CONCLUSIONS: Our report illustrates the high incidence of endocrine deficits in patients with craniopharyngioma. Additional hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction usually occurs following surgical treatment of these tumours.

Adolescent↗

Recovery of visual and endocrine function following transsphenoidal surgery of large nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.

A series of 35 patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas undergoing transsphenoidal surgery is presented. In most cases, the presenting symptoms were related to the mass effect of the tumor. There was no operative mortality. Before surgery, visual field defects were documented in 21 patients (60%). After surgery, excluding 3 patients with preoperative blindness, 28% regained normal vision and 67% showed variable improvement. Preoperatively, 24 patients (69%) had abnormal pituitary function, 24 (69%) had hypogonadism, 7 (20%) adrenal insufficiency, 8 (23%) hypothyroidism and 2 (6%) panhypopituitarism. After pituitary surgery, all but one patient with normal preoperative function retained it. Of the patients with hypopituitarism, 11 (46%) had variable improvement and 13 (54%) had persistent deficits. After surgery, 4 patients (57%) with adrenal insufficiency recovered normal adrenal function, 7 patients (29%) with hypogonadism recovered gonadal function and 1 patient (13%) with hypothyroidism recovered thyroid function. Prior to surgery, the presence of a normal or slightly elevated PRL and a rise in TSH after TRH and in LH after GnRH stimulation were of value in predicting possible recovery of pituitary function after surgery. These observations suggest the presence of viable pituitary tissue in these cases and point out that, in some instances, the mechanism of hypopituitarism may be compression of the portal circulation, rather than destruction of the normal pituitary gland.

Adenoma↗

Lymphocytic hypophysitis causing hypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus, and associated with autoimmune thyroiditis, in a non-pregnant woman.

A 25 year old non-pregnant woman presented with a one-year history of amenorrhoea and polyuria. Three months before her admission, she had suffered lymphocytic meningitis. Hormonal studies revealed hypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus, with associated primary autoimmune hypothyroidism. Computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed a pituitary mass with suprasellar extension and thickened stalk. Transsphenoidal surgery was performed and the histological study revealed fibrosis and diffuse lymphocytic infiltration with predominance of CD4 lymphocytes. This further case of lymphocytic hypophysitis was not related to pregnancy and produced diabetes insipidus, two uncommon associations. We discuss the features that can lead to a preoperative suspicion of this rare disorder.

Adult↗

Treatment of invasive growth hormone pituitary adenomas with long-acting somatostatin analog SMS 201-995 before transsphenoidal surgery.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the long-acting somatostatin analog SMS 201-995 (octreotide) shrinks growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenomas and improves the results of subsequent transsphenoidal surgery. Ten previously untreated active acromegalic patients (nine women and one man) with invasive tumors were treated with SMS 201-995 (100 micrograms subcutaneously every 8 hours) for 6 weeks prior to transsphenoidal surgery. The clinical activity, mean GH secretion, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I concentration, and tumor volume were measured under basal conditions and on Days 14, 28, and 42 of treatment. The SMS 201-995 improved the symptoms of acromegaly in all patients. Mean levels of both GH and IGF-I (+/- standard deviation) were significantly decreased by Day 14 (from 92.9 +/- 30.5 to 44.9 +/- 20.3 micrograms/liter and from 10.6 +/- 7.4 to 5.9 +/- 2.6 U/ml, respectively), after which there were only slight further decreases. Six (60%) of the 10 patients experienced tumor shrinkage ranging from 9% to 78% (mean 30%). When it occurred, tumor shrinkage was significant by Day 14 (7.9 +/- 6.3 to 6.5 +/- 5.1 cu cm) and no further shrinkage was achieved by longer administration. Transsphenoidal surgery reduced postoperative GH levels to less than 2 micrograms/liter and IGF-I to less than 1.5 U/ml in six patients (60%). This percentage of cure is higher than expected from the literature and the authors' previous experience. However, an investigation of the influence of this drug on several parameters, such as reduction of tumor size or GH and IGF-I concentrations, has failed to prove any relationship. Only pretreatment size of the tumor was of predictive value with respect to the surgical outcome.

Acromegaly↗

Empty sella and rhinorrhea. A report of eight treated cases.

The association of an empty sella with rhinorrhea is an unusual finding. Of 29 cases of empty sella observed by the authors, eight underwent surgery for rhinorrhea. None of the patients showed clinical evidence of increased intracranial pressure or hydrocephalus. Seven were cases of primary empty sella, the eighth was an acromegalic patient, who had received radiotherapy 4 years before. Except for this patient, the others showed no clinical signs of a previous tumor. In the surgical treatment of these patients, the authors used both the transfrontal and transsphenoidal approaches. In spite of generally accepted good results following surgical closure of this type of fistula, four patients needed more than one operation. The fistula closed in only three of them; in the last patient rhinorrhea persisted after three operations.

Adult↗

Epicranial plexiform neurofibroma.

Epicranial plexiform neurofibroma is a rare presentation of neurofibromatosis. Two such cases are presented in which epicranial tumors constituted isolated manifestations of the disease except for skin pigmentation. Tumor development began at two and three months of age respectively; one case showed a calvarian bony defect associated with the tumor.

Female↗

Functional treatment of acromegaly by transsphenoidal microsurgery.

The authors have analyzed the results from 41 acromegalic patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery. In 31 patients, postoperative growth hormone (GH) levels fell and remained below 10 ng/ml. This represents an endocrinological "cure" of 78%. In the remaining 10 cases, postoperative GH values have not stabilized below 10 ng/ml, although seven show some clinical improvement. The results were particularly good in those cases of localized adenomas, which allowed a selective removal while maintaining pituitary function within normal limits in 65.5% of cases. The postoperative GH level in this group fell and remained below 10 ng/ml in more than 90% of cases. Four patients required reoperation to normalize the GH levels which had not been sufficiently modified after the first operation; only one of them remained with plasma GH levels above normal limits. There were no deaths in this series. Rhinorrhea occurred as a postsurgical complication in four cases. In three this disappeared with bed rest and lumbar drainage; in the other, surgical repair was necessary. The occurrence of surgical complications has decreased as our experience has increased, and the need for reoperation has been unusual after the first year of our study.

Acromegaly↗