Objective: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) may not accurately reflect the level of glycemia in conditions of altered erythrocyte turnover. Hypothyroidism is one condition associated with sluggish erythropoesis. To assess changes in HbA 1c , independent of changes in plasma glucose after initiation of thyroxine replacement in patients with overt hypothyroidism. Materials and methods: In this prospective longitudinal study carried out in a tertiary care centre, adult non-diabetic patients with overt hypothyroidism recruited between March 2012 to August 2013 were rendered euthyroid on thyroxine. They underwent testing for hemoglobin, HbA 1c , reticulocyte count, thyroxine, thyrotropin and a standard oral glucose tolerance test, both before and at 3 months after restoration to the euthyroid state. Main outcome assessed was the change in HbA 1c independent of the change in glucose parameters. Results: Thirty eight patients (35 female and 3 male) aged 37.8 ± 10.2 years with overt hypothyroidism (thyroxine 12.6 ± 13.4 ng/mL and thyrotropin -98.1 ± 63.7 µIU/mL respectively) were recruited. While HbA 1c fell from 5.8 ± 0.7% to 5.6 ± 0.5% (p = 0.009) at 3 months following the correction of hypothyroidism, there were no changes in the fasting and the 2 hr post oral glucose tolerance test glucose (p = 0.67 and 0.56 respectively). The number of patients with dysglycemia diagnosed by HbA 1c (i.e HbA 1c ≥ 5.7%) fell from 25 (65.78%) to 17 (44.7%) after treatment (p = 0.008). There were 7 (18.4%) patients with HbA 1c ≥ 6.5% at baseline, but this fell to just 4 (10.5%) (p < 0.001) after 3 months of euthyroidism. Conclusion: HbA 1c is not a reliable diagnostic test for diabetes in the presence of hypothyroidism. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(6):495-500

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Background & objectives:Postmenopausal women constitute an ideal model for studying the extent of hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis suppression in critical illness as the gonadotropins are normally high and non-cyclical in them. The objective was to assess the impact of acute severe illness in postmenopausal women on the HPG axis and the activities of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), the hypothalamo- pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axes; and levels of serum prolactin, by comparison between critically ill postmenopausal women and otherwise healthy postmenopausal women.Methods:Thirty five consecutive postmenopausal women older than 60 yr admitted to medical intensive care with a Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) more than 30 were included. On day five of their in-hospital stay, blood samples were collected for oestradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), cortisol, androstenedione, prolactin and thyroid profile. Thirty five apparently healthy postmenopausal women were selected as controls.Results:Levels of LH, FSH, thyrotropin, free thyroxin (fT4) and free tri-iodothyronine (fT3) were lower while oestradiol, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone were higher among patients in comparison to healthy controls. Prolactin levels were similar in patients and controls. Among sick patients both FSH and fT4 showed a negative correlation (P<0.05) with the SAPS II score.Interpretation & conclusions:In critically ill postmenopausal women, paradoxically elevated oestrogen levels despite gonadotropin suppression suggests a non-ovarian origin. Prolactin remained unaltered in patients despite their illness, possibly reflecting atrophy of lactotrophs in menopause.

Introduction:Visual disturbance as a presenting feature of pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is uncommon. Although papilledema is commonly reported with hypoparathyroidism primary or secondary, but not reported commonly with PHP.Description of the Case:A 10-year-old male child presented to our outpatient service with the complaints of blurring of vision, diplopia, and associated headache. There was no history of seizure episode. Patient had rounded face with a short, stocky built. Shortening of the fourth metacarpal and fifth metatarsal was present. Pitted nails and bilateral cataract. Patient also had clinical signs and biochemical parameters of hypocalcemia, along with normal parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Consistent with pseudohypopathyroidism.Conclusion:In cases of chronic papilledema, the assessment of the calcium serum level is a safe and simple method to exclude hypoparathyroidism or PHP.

Introduction:Presentation of the ischemic stroke due to vasoactive intestinal peptide producing tumor (VIPoma) or Verner Morrison syndrome is rare. This is first of its kind case which we are reporting here which was later turned out to be multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) syndrome with diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism in the same patient in follow-up.Description of the Case:A 13-year-old girl presented to our emergency department with features of disorientation, weakness of left sided extremities. She had watery high volume diarrhea and related dehydration with renal failure. Blood chemistry was suggestive of hypokalemia with metabolic acidosis. Patient had flushing on her face during this episode of illness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain suggested venous infarct. Computed tomography (CT) scan of abdomen done with high index of suspicion was suggestive of mass in tail of pancreas mostly a VIPoma. Patient was operated for the tumor after which there was no recurrence of diarrhea. Biopsy of tumor was consistent with VIPoma with chomogranin A positivity. Patient improved of her stroke episode with time. On follow-up she is diagnosed to have primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia due to left inferior parathyroid adenoma which improved with intravenous (IV) zolindronic acid therapy and now she is planned to undergo parathyroidectomy.Conclusion:VIPoma is a rare tumor but is well-described with MEN 1. Stroke as a presenting feature of VIPoma is first reported with this case.