Initial results of the German Acromegaly Registry show that it was possible to include a large number of patients within 3 years into the registry. Data quality has been validated and shown to be satisfactory. Therefore, the registry will be a useful tool to study long-term morbidity and mortality in a large series of patients.

The journal apologizes for an error in Fig. 2 of this article published in the European Journal of Endocrinology 166 1061-1068. The GH-treated group and non-GH-treated group were incorrectly identified. The correct figure is published in full below. European Journal of Endocrinology 167 135Figure 2 Cox regression of progression-free survival rates adjusted for initial RT, residual tumour after primary treatment and gender in patients treated with and without GHRT. No association between GHRT and tumour progression was found (HR 0.57; P valueZ0.17). The 95% CI for each group are indicated by the red and blue colours (GHRT, GH replacement therapy; RT, radiation therapy).

To study a potential alteration of hypothalamic centers involved in the negative feedback action of leptin on body weight, serum leptin levels were measured in relation to BMI in 18 patients following surgery for a hypothalamic craniopharyngioma (Ctx), and were compared to levels found in 21 patients operated for a pituitary adenoma (Ptx) or in healthy control subjects. All subjects with Ptx received rhGH replacement therapy (0.5 to 2 IU/m2/d), and serum leptin levels were followed in 3 months intervals over 24 months. Serum leptin levels in patients with Ptx were comparable to controls, whereas 7 of the 18 patients with Ctx had higher than expected concentrations for their BMI. GH treatment in Ptx subjects did not alter serum leptin levels. In 5 Ctx patients where preoperative samples were available, weight gain in parallel to an increase in serum leptin levels was observed but only minimal changes in 4 others. Our data support the role of leptin as an important marker of body weight. The rapid increase in serum leptin levels observed in some Ctx subjects suggests that early postoperative measurement of serum leptin levels may help to identify patients at risk of weight gain following hypothalamic destruction.

Within the last years, a number of clinical studies have addressed the topic of hypothalamo-pituitary dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Clinical studies oftentimes reflect the investigation of highly selective patient groups, very standardized test procedures and may be influenced by a publication bias. Epidemiological data on the prevalence and incidence of hypopituitarism after TBI and SAH in the general population still do not exist. Moreover, very little is known about risk factors and clinical characteristics of pituitary impairment after brain damage. Epidemiologic surveys which aggregate information of many different treatment centers become an increasingly important means of bridging the gap between standardized study situations and clinical practice. Therefore, a multi-center, structured data assessment to create a national registry of TBI and SAH patients has been established in 2005. The Structured Data Assessment of Hypopituitarism after TBI and SAH is coordinated by the Department of Endocrinology, Max-Planck-Institute in Munich with participation of at present 13 neurosurgical, rehabilitation and endocrinological centers in Germany and one Austrian center. Within this database, a large scope of very detailed, clinical, endocrine and outcome information is collected. It also offers the possibility of long-term follow up of the recorded patients. This is the first report of the registry describing goals, organization, methodology, funding and the descriptive data of the first 1,242 patients entered until November 20th, 2008.

Impairment of glucose tolerance and muscle wasting indicating a disorder of glucose metabolism are characteristic features of Cushing's syndrome. We have examined glucose and amino acid metabolism in eleven patients with pituitary dependent Cushing's disease in comparison to nine healthy controls. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of selective pituitary microsurgery was studied by repeated stable isotope measurements of hepatic glucose production and leucine turnover rates. Eight patients remitted after surgery and 3 had persistent disease. All patients were investigated prior to surgery and again 1 week and 3 months after the operation with (6,6-2H2)-glucose and (5,5,5-2H3)-leucine by means of a primed (4 mg/kg.min and 0.27 mg/kg.min), continuous (0.05 mg/kg.min and 0.005 mg/kg.min) infusion. In Cushing's disease, both the preoperatively elevated mean glucose production rate (2.34 +/- 0.63 mg/kg.min) and the reduced mean leucine turnover (0.213 +/- 0.025 mg/kg.min) were found to be linked with hepatic insulin resistance and an insulin-induced reduction in protein breakdown combined with a reduced protein synthesis. Mean glucose production and leucine flux both normalized after surgery in the remitting patients (2.18 +/- 0.15 mg/kg.min and 0.244 +/- 0.047 mg/kg.min 3 months after the operation). The metabolic disorders thus were reversible following successful correction of hormonal oversecretion by transsphenoidal surgery.