Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Male Patients Over 60 Years of Age with Metabolic Syndrome

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine serum androgen levels and the frequency of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in patients over 60 years of age with metabolic syndrome (MS) and its correlation with parameters of MS

Lacrimal gland enlargement and tear film changes in acromegaly patients: A controlled study

Purpose: Evaluation of the lacrimal gland volume (LGV) and its correlation with tear film functions, serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in acromegaly patients compared to a control group was aimed

Efficacy and Safety of Stereotactic Radiotherapy in Cushing's Disease: A Single Center Experience

Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of stereotactic RT in patients with Cushing's disease (CD)

Sexual Functions of Transgender Individuals Before Gender Transition

Objective: It is important to evaluate sexual function during the follow-up of transgender individuals in the gender pre-transition period. However, there exists inadequate literature evaluating the sexual functions of transgender individuals who have not received hormone therapy and/or undergone gender-affirming surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual function in transgender individuals in the gender pre-transition period. Material and Methods: Transgender individuals who were admitted consecutively to the tertiary care hospital between February and December 2019 were evaluated. Those who agreed to fill the questionnaires were included. Sexual functions of participants were evaluated using the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction developed for cisgender and heterosexual individuals. In addition, the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale was used for a psychometric test. Results: Sixty-five participants who did not receive hormone therapy and/or undergone gender-affirming surgery were included. Of these, 45 individuals were trans men (TM), and 20 were trans women (TW). The mean ages of TW and TM were 25.05 +/- 6.73 and 24.23 +/- 5.58 years, respectively. The percentages of sexual dysfunction were found to be 87.8 degrees/o in TM and 92.3% in TW, according to the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale. According to the common subscales of the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, the most common problem in both groups was low sexual frequency. Conclusion: Owing to the importance of evaluating the sexual function in transgender individuals during the gender pre-transition period or in those who do not intend to undergo gender-affirming treatment, a scale should be developed for this period

Effectiveness of Cabergoline Treatment in Patients with Acromegaly Uncontrolled with SSAs: Experience of a Single Tertiary Center

Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of cabergoline and the parameters affecting cabergoline response as add-on treatment to somatostatin analaogues (SSA) in patients with acromegaly uncontrolled with SSAs

The Effects of Psychological Focus Group Therapy on the Quality of Life of Female Patients with Acromegaly

Objective: Chronic diseases such as acromegaly affect psychological health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 1-year-long psychological focus group therapy on the quality of life of patients with acromegaly. Material and Methods: Seven female patients with acromegaly, followed-up at the endocrinology outpatient clinic of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, were evaluated. The weekly group psychotherapy sessions were conducted by a psychoanalyst and a clinical psychologist between May 2018 and May 2019. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Acromegaly Quality of Life (AcroQoL) scales were assessed at baseline, 3-months, 6-months, and 1-year of group therapy. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43.7 +/- 6.2years, and the median duration of disease was 8 [3-10] years. Six patients were in disease remission. There was a significant improvement in the BDI (p=0.008) and AcroQoL-total scores (p=0.04) from the beginning till the end of the study. A strong negative correlation was observed between BDI and AcroQoL-2 (p=0.003; r=-0.91 vs. p=0.04; r=-0.77) and AcroQoL-t(o)tal (p=0.03; r=-0.78 vs. p=0.01; r=-0.85) scores at baseline and the 3-months of therapy, respectively. Moreover, the psychoanalyst reported that the patients showed an improved ability to face difficulties caused by their illnesses, expressed their emotional reactions more freely, and were more capable of enduring the disease. Conclusion: Patients with acromegaly benefited from the 1-year psychological focus group therapy in terms of psychological well-being, along with improved AcroQoL and BDI scores. Psychotherapeutic approaches, starting with the diagnosis of the disease, might be a significant intervention that improves the quality of life of patients with acromegaly

The effect of somatostatin analogs and acromegaly on the upper gastrointestinal system

Purpose To evaluate the effects of somatostatin analogs and disease activity status on the upper gastrointestinal system in patients with acromegaly. Methods One hundred eighty-one patients with acromegaly were retrospectively assessed. The demographic, biochemical, pathologic, and radiologic data of the patients were evaluated. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopies and endoscopic biopsies were investigated. We divided patients into four groups according to the use of somatostatin analogs, and into two groups according to disease activity. We compared the data of patients between groups A, B, C, and D, and controlled/uncontrolled groups separately. Results Before and in the peri-endoscopic period, 67 and 27 patients were being treated with octreotide long-acting release (LAR) (group A) and lanreotide autogel (group B), respectively. Twenty-one patients used somatostatin analogs, but they were stopped for various reasons before upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (group C), and 66 patients did not use a somatostatin analog (group D). In the peri-endoscopic period, 103 (60%) patients were responsive to medical and/or surgical treatment and 67 (40%) patients were non-responsive. The rate of gastritis was higher in group A than in groups B and D. The incidence of duodenitis and gastric ulcer was much higher in group D. The rate of gastritis was higher in the controlled group compared to the uncontrolled group. Conclusion The study showed that octreotide LAR treatment could be a risk factor in addition to known factors for the development of gastritis in patients with acromegaly