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Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) enables detection and localization of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Even small tumours down to a diameter of 1-2 mm can be visualized. Since such small tumours usually cannot be detected by computed tomography (ct), magnetic resonance imaging (mri) and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (srs), and experience with EUS imaging is limited, there is no clear evidence for clinical management in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Knowledge about the natural course of growth and metastatic distribution is mandatory to come to appropriate clinical decisions and guidelines. This prospective study was aimed to assess the natural course of small (!15 mm) neuroendocrine pancreatic tumours without clinical symptoms due to endocrine activity or mechanical problems and without clear indication for surgical therapy in MEN1 by EUS.A total of 82 asymptomatic tumours !15 mm (5.9G3.2 mm diameter at baseline) in 20 patients with MEN1-disease (8 female/12 male, 43G13 years) were studied over a period of 20G12 months (33.8 patient years, 106.7 tumour years) by EUS. Change in largest diameter of each tumour and annual tumour incidence rate in the patients' cohort were calculated.Increase of largest tumour diameter was found to be 1.3G3.2% per month, annual tumour incidence rate 0.62 new tumours per patient year. In one patient, rapid progressive pancreatic manifestation of MEN1 was observed. There was no evidence in ct and/or srs and/or mri for metastatic disease in all patients. Only 4/84 (4.8%) pancreatic tumours could be visualized by computed tomography, 5/79 (6.3%) by somatostatin receptor imaging and 4/39 (10.3%) by magnetic resonance imaging.Small asymptomatic neuroendocrine pancreatic tumours in MEN1 usually seem to grow slowly. Annual tumour incidence rate is low. However, faster growing tumours and patients with rapidly progressive disease can be observed. Risk for obvious metastatic disease from asymptomatic neuroendocrine pancreatic tumours !15 mm in MEN1 seems to be low.

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Objective: Adrenal lesion is one of the features of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). This study aimed to assess prevalence, natural course and clinical relevance of small adrenal lesions without clinical symptoms, endocrine activity, or mechanical problems and thus without clear indication for surgical therapy by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Design and methods: Forty-nine patients with familial MEN1 were studied. Twenty-seven of these with adrenal lesions were detected by EUS and at least two performed EUS examinations were included into a subgroup where changes in adrenal morphology were studied by measuring changes in the largest diameter of the dominant adrenal tumour. Results: EUS detected adrenal lesions in 36 (73%) patients: 6 (12%) plump adrenals, 17 (35%) nodular hyperplasia, 12 (24%) adenomas and 1 (2%) cyst. Bilateral adrenal lesions were detected in 17 patients and unilateral in 19 patients. A change in the largest tumour diameter was found to be for nodular hyperplasia K0.02G1.41% per month (range K2.56 to 4.58%) and for adenomas K0.61G1.95% per month (range K6.25 to 1.15%). One patient had an adrenal cyst with significant growth. There was no evidence of carcinoma or metastatic disease during the study. Conclusions: The prevalence of adrenal lesions in MEN1 is higher than that reported earlier. Except one cystic lesion, no significant change in the tumour size was observed over a mean observation period of more than 2 years. In a typical situation, small adrenal lesions in MEN1 seem to be constant in their morphology.European Journal of Endocrinology 158 699-704

Objective: Hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency may have diverse causes. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency in patients with previous infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) of different etiologies and mild-to-moderate clinical course. Design: Patient series. Basal and stimulated (insulin tolerance test) pituitary function testing was performed in 19 patients with previous neuroborreliosis, encephalitis, or meningitis following an interval of between 10 and 56 months (mean 26.1G13.1 months) after the acute event.Results: Four patients (21%; two males, two females) showed an isolated corticotropic insufficiency (peak cortisol !181.25 mg/l during the insulin tolerance test). Two patients (11%, males) showed borderline gonadotropic insufficiency (basal testosterone between 2.4 and 3.0 mg/l). No patient had somatotropic or thyrotropic insufficiency or evidence for diabetes insipidus; all had prolactin concentrations within the reference range. Conclusions: Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and especially isolated corticotropic insufficiency may develop in a relevant proportion of patients after infectious diseases of the CNS.European Journal of Endocrinology 158 3-9