Anastasia K. Armeni, Vasiliki Vasileiou, George Markantes, Christina Damoulari, Angelina Mandrapilia, Fotini A. Kosmopoulou, Varvara Keramisanou, Danai Georgakopoulou, Neoklis A. Georgopoulos
Cases of sexual reassignment in Greco-Roman antiquity, presenting as a pubertal female-to-male gender transformation, are described in the “classical” literature. Textual evidence concerning a case of androgynism, garnered by Diodorus Siculus, among other similar accounts …
Nikolaos E. Koundourakis, Nikolaos Androulakis, Eirini C. Spyridaki, Elias Castanas, Niki Malliaraki, Christos Tsatsanis, Andrew N. Margioris
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of three seasonal training programs, largely different in strength volume, on androgen levels and performance parameters in soccer players. DESIGN: Sixty-seven soccer players, members of three different professional teams, participated in the study …
Charis Girvalaki, Constantine Vardavas, Christopher Papandreou, Georgia Christaki, Anna Vergetaki, Ioanna G. Tsiligianni, Christos Hatzis, Anthony Kafatos
OBJECTIVE: To investigate all the important factors contributing to the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well as to explore the changes of these factors, over time, by comparing adolescent populations of rural areas of Heraklion, Crete, for the years 2011 and 1989 …
Blair T. Crewther, Liam P. Kilduff, Charlie Finn, Phil Scott, Christian J. Cook
OBJECTIVE: To address the rapid influence of testosterone (T) on neuromuscular performance, we compared the T and physical performance responses of adults exposed to a physical and psychological stimulus. DESIGN: A group of healthy men (n=12) and women (n=14) each completed three treatments using a randomised, crossover design: exercise involving five × ten-second cycle sprints, viewing a video clip with aggressive content and a control session …
Ana Filipa Martins, João Martin Martins, Sónia do Vale, Teresa Dias, Catarina Silveira, Inês Rodrigues da Silva, Maria Carmo-Fonseca
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism. MEN2 is an autosomal dominant syndrome caused by mutations in the RET proto-oncogene …
Sophia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Maria Deligiorgi, Sophia Malaktari-Skarantavou, Charalampos Vlachopoulos, Spyridon Megremis, Irene Fylaktou, Joanne Traeger-Synodinos, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, Christodoulos Stefanadis, Emmanuel Kanavakis
OBJECTIVE: Frasier syndrome (FS) phenotype in 46,XY patients usually consists of female external genitalia, gonadal dysgenesis, high risk of gonadoblastoma and the development of end stage renal failure usually in the second decade of life. FS is caused by heterozygous de novo intronic splice site mutations …
Jong Wook Kim, Eun Sook Kim, Woojun Kim, Young Do Kim, Eun Young Mo, Sung Dae Moon, Je Ho Han
A diagnosis of central hypothyroidism (CH) can be missed easily or delayed without a high index of suspicion due to normal or slightly altered thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels during the initial screening test for thyroid dysfunction …
Elena Tsourdi, Matthias Gruber, Martina Rauner, Judith Blankenburg, Tjalf Ziemssen, Lorenz C. Hofbauer
CONTEXT: Alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against CD52, is effective in the treatment of early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Common adverse effects include an acute-phase reaction, infections and autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disorders …
Michela Rosaria Campo, Olga Lamacchia, Anna Farese, Antonella Conserva, Giuseppe Picca, Gianpaolo Grilli, Mauro Cignarelli
OBJECTIVE: Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), an uncommon cause of Cushing’s syndrome, is frequently associated with a wider clinical spectrum, the Carney complex (CC), a multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome …
Anna Angelousi, Filip Fencl, Fabio R. Faucz, Jana Malikova, Zdenek Sumnik, Jan Lebl, Constantine A. Stratakis
OBJECTIVE: Corticotropin (ACTH)-independent hypercortisolism due to bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia (BAH) in infancy is an extremely rare condition that is often caused by McCune Albright syndrome (MAS). MAS is caused by an activating mutation of the GNAS gene which leads to increased cyclic (c) adenosine monophosphate (AMP) signaling …
Panagiota Pervanidou, Despoina Bastaki, Giorgos Chouliaras, Katerina Papanikolaou, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, George Chrousos
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric obesity commonly co-exists with emotional and behavioral disorders, while disturbed cortisol concentrations have been reported in both obese and chronically stressed individuals with anxiety and/or depression. We investigated the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing problems …
George Kalantzis, Michael Angelou, Effie Poulakou-Rebelakou
Diabetic retinopathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and is a significant cause of new-onset blindness. Diabetic macular changes in the form of yellowish spots and full or partial thickness extravasations through the retina were observed for the first time by Eduard Jäger. In 1855, he published “Beiträge zur Pathologie des Auges” where he included his fundus paintings…
Chrisanthi Zouli, Christos Tsametis, Ioannis Papadimas, Dimitrios G. Goulis
The clinical and laboratory features as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of men with XYY syndrome have not been fully described. A 41-year-old infertile man was diagnosed as having a 47,XYY karyotype and a micro-prolactinoma. His 32-year-old wife had a history of five spontaneous pregnancies, all resulting in first trimester miscarriages …
Stelios Fountoulakis, Labrini Papanastasiou, Alexandros Gryparis, Athina Markou, George Piaditis
OBJECTIVE: To monitor and control the blood glucose levels in inefficiently insulin-treated patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using a telemonitoring system and determine whether the improvement of HbA1c has a lasting effect following its discontinuation …
Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, Pantelis Chatzismalis, Frangiskos Economou, Stefanos Lazarides, Athena Androulaki, Grigorios Kouraklis
We report a 71-year old man who presented with symptoms of adrenal insufficiency and large bilateral adrenal masses. Computed tomography guided FNA biopsy was not diagnostic. However, because of the rapid growth of the masses, the negative workup for primary malignancy and the strong clinical suspicion of a lymphoma, an open biopsy was performed and a B-cell lymphoma was disclosed…
Olga Moshkin, Luis V. Syro, Bernd W. Scheithauer, Leon D. Ortiz, Camilo E. Fadul, Humberto Uribe, Ricardo Gonzalez, Michael Cusimano, Eva Horvath, Fabio Rotondo, Kalman Kovacs
Temozolomide (TMZ) has recently been recommended as a novel approach in the management of aggressive pituitary tumors. Herein, we present the case of a 43-year-old man with a 20-year history of silent subtype 2 pituitary corticotroph adenoma. Nine surgical resections and radiotherapy had failed to provide a cure. Morphological evaluation of the tumor revealed …
Alfredo Campennì, Salvatore Giovinazzo, Lorenzo Curtò, Ernesto Giordano, Maria Trovato, Rosaria M. Ruggeri, Sergio Baldari
OBJECTIVE: Thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare congenital disorder characterized by the absence of a lobe and/or of isthmus. Studies on the association between thyroid hemiagenesis, Graves’ disease and differentiated thyroid cancer are rare …
Neoklis A. Georgopoulos, George A. Vagenakis, Apostolos L. Pierris
In an Orphic account of the constitutive mythology of the Eleusinian Mysteries, there occurs the relation of a remarkable tale of sacred obscenity. The Baubo affair is pivotal for a more in-depth understanding of the symbolism involved in the most awesome mysteric cult of the ancient Greek world …
Stelios Tigas, Petros Papachilleos, Nikolaos Ligkros, Maria Andrikoula, Agathocles Tsatsoulis
Glucocorticoids are commonly used in the treatment of patients with thyroid disorders, in particular Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis (TPP) is an infrequent but potentially serious condition characterised by recurrent episodes of weakness associated with hypokalemia …
Themistoklis Floros, Anastassios Philippou, Dimitrios Bardakostas, Dimitrios Mantas, Michael Koutsilieris
OBJECTIVE: It is well known that conventional surgery leads to detrimental immune and catabolic responses, thus there is growing interest in the effect of minimally invasive techniques on postoperative endocrine and immune function. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)/IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) axis and acute phase (interleukin-6, IL-6, and C-reactive protein, CRP) responses in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy …
Justin K. Lawrence, Eamonn R. Maher, Richard Sheaves, Ashley B. Grossman
Phaeochromocytomas (PC) and paragangliomas are disorders of the sympatho-adrenomedullary system. They are chromaffin-containing neuroendocrine tumors of neural crest origin that contain catecholamine-secreting granules: they arise from either the adrenal medulla (phaeochromocytomas) or from extra-adrenal neural crest derivatives e.g. the sympathetic chain (paragangliomas)…
Anna Maladaki, Maria P. Yavropoulou, Kalliopi Kotsa, Theoni Tranga, Stelios Ventis, John G. Yovos
Gilbert’s syndrome is a common inherited metabolic disorder, caused by genetic aberration in the enzyme UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase 1A1 that leads to reduced glucuronidation of bilirubin. Recent advances in molecular genetics have frequently reported the concurrence of dual genetic …
Pinar Yazici, Mehmet Mihmanli, Emre Bozkurt, Feyza Yener Ozturk, Mehmet Uludag
OBJECTIVE: Since documented incidence of thyroid cancer has been rising over time, in part due to incidental small papillary cancer, several studies have been carried out to investigate the role of possible serum markers of thyroid cancer prior to surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. AIM: To investigate the role of thyroglobulin (Tg), thyrotropin (TSH) and the TSH:Tg, Tg:TSH ratio in the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer …
George K. Daikos
The Hippocratic medical school (the medical school of Kos) was not an isolated phenomenon but the evolution and consequence of previous ideas and practices derived from many older sources. Hippocratic medicine1-3 replaced the theurgical and hieratic medicine, succeeding to and evolving from the medicine of the Minoan civilization of Crete …
Vasiliki Daraki, Sofia Koukouraki, George Velegrakis, Evangelia Mamalaki, Vrettos T. Haniotis, George Kalikakis, Maria I. Stathaki, Nikos Karkavitsas, Stathis S. Papavasiliou
OBJECTIVE: To describe a rare case of occult (<1cm in diameter) medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in a 45-year-old woman, presenting as an asymptomatic mediastinal mass. DESIGN: The diagnostic methodology included laboratory measurements of relevant biochemical and hormonal parameters ...