Publications by authors named "Hekma Farghaly"

Article Synopsis
  • - Refractory hypothyroidism (RF) occurs when TSH levels remain high despite increasing thyroid medication, often due to factors like poor compliance, dietary issues, and other medical conditions affecting medication absorption.
  • - In children, RF is often asymptomatic or presents with mild symptoms similar to hypothyroidism, making early identification and treatment crucial to prevent complications from excessive thyroid medication.
  • - This review seeks to explore the causes, symptoms, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options for RF in children, emphasizing the importance of endocrinologists in managing these cases effectively.
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Gynecomastia (GM) is a common and continuously evolving condition that commonly occurs during adolescence. It is the source of significant embarrassment and psychological stress in adolescent males. GM is characterized by enlargement of the male breast due to the proliferation of glandular ducts and stromal components.

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Idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH) is defined as bouts of hypoglycemia with increased blood or urine ketones in certain children after prolonged fasting or during illness. IKH is divided into physiological IKH, which is most frequently observed in normal children with intercurrent acute illness, and pathological IKH, which occurs in children who lack counter-regulatory hormones, have a metabolic disease, or have Silver-Russell syndrome. The typical patient is a young child between the ages of 10 months and 6 years.

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Graves' disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in children. A common GD symptom is a goiter. The usual biochemical profile in children with GD is a decreased thyroid hormone stimulating hormone (TSH) level and high free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentrations.

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The most frequent cause of hyperthyroidism in children is Graves' disease (GD). Vascular endothelium is a specific target of thyroid hormone. The purpose of this study is to assess flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)% and serum von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels in children with newly diagnosed GD to reflect the extent of endothelial dysfunction in those children.

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Objective: To assess serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels as an ovarian reserve marker in adolescent girls with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and explore the relationship of this marker with autoimmunity and thyroid function biomarkers.

Subjects And Methods: This study included 96 adolescent girls with newly diagnosed AIT and 96 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. All participants were evaluated with detailed history taking and physical examination, thyroid ultrasound, and measurement of levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxin (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), antithyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), estradiol, total testosterone, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels.

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Subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH) is defined as serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) below the lower limit of the reference range in the presence of normal free T4 and free T3 levels. Depending on the degree of TSH suppression, SH could be defined as mild (TSH, 0.1-0.

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Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the commonest etiology of chronic hepatic problems in children with obesity. This study aimed to assess whether urinary C-peptide creatinine ratio (UCPCR) might be a potential indicator of NAFLD in obese children.

Methods: The study included 240 children with simple obesity.

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Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live-born infants. Children with DS are at increased risk of numerous endocrinal comorbidities. The information contained in this article will provide pediatricians with a narrative overview of different presentations, diagnoses, and management recommendations of various endocrinal disorders in children with DS.

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Background: Meningitis is one of the most dangerous infection affecting children. The need for rapid and accurate diagnosis is mandatory for improving the outcome.

Aim Of The Work: To evaluate the role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in diagnosis of meningitis either bacterial or viral and to detect its accuracy.

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Background: Meningitis is one of the most dangerous infection affecting children. The need for rapid and accurate diagnosis is mandatory for improving the outcome.

Aim Of The Work: to evaluate the role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnosis of meningitis and to detect its accuracy.

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Background: Healthy vestibular system adjusts balance during static and dynamic conditions. This is important for normal development (standing up and walking). Vestipulopathies (central and peripheral) are common complications of diabetes in adult population.

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Hormone resistance is defined as a reduced or absence of  target tissues responsiveness to a hormone, where the presentation is related to either a relative lack or excess of hormones. Various disorders of hormone resistance were encountered including, Laron syndrome, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, thyroid hormone resistance syndrome, pseudohypoparathyroidism, insulin resistance, familial glucocorticoid deficiency, pseudohypoaldosteronism, X linked hypophosphatemic rickets  and androgen insensitivity syndrome. The article gives a summary that presents, in concentrated form, what the primary care physicians need to know about recognition,  clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management  of various hormone resistance in children.

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Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is defined as serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) above the upper limit of the reference range in the presence of normal free T4 concentrations. Depending on the degree of TSH elevation, SH could be defined as mild (TSH, 4.5-10 mIU/L) or severe (TSH>10 mIU/L).

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Background And Aims: Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are at increased risk of cardiometabolic abnormalities. We aimed to evaluate vascular endothelial dysfunction and its association with serum neopterin (NP) levels in CAH patients.

Methods: The study included 40 patients, with a mean age of 14.

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Objective: Evaluate ferritin levels in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and its relation to diabetic microvascular complications, and metabolic control.

Methods: This study included 180 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with a mean age of 14.9 ± 3.

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Objective: This study aimed to assess the role of serum midkine (MK) as a biomarker for early detection of diabetic nephropathy in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) before microalbuminuria emerges.

Methods: A total of 120 children with T1DM, comprising 60 microalbuminuric patients (Group 1), 60 normoalbuminuric patients (Group 2), and 60 healthy participants as a control group (Group 3) were included. Detailed medical history, clinical examination, and laboratory assessment of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hemoglobin A1c percentage (HbA1c%), lipid profile, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), serum MK and estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine were performed in all participants.

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Background: Cyanotic breath-holding spells (CBHS) are self-limited conditions among younger children. Frequent spells cause parents' fear and anxiety. Seizures, brain damage and sudden death have been rarely reported with BHS.

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Objective: Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is elevated in various autoimmune disorders, which may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications. The aims of the current study were to evaluate serum sCD40L concentrations in children with newly diagnosed Graves’ disease (GD) and to correlate its levels with patients’ clinical and laboratory parameters.

Methods: This study included 48 children with newly diagnosed GD and 48 healthy children.

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Background/aims: Thyroid hormones (TSH) play a key role in the working of the cardiovascular system, with direct effects on cardiac function, vascular system, and atherosclerotic factors. Epicardial adipose tissue, the visceral fat of the heart, has emerged as a new cardiometabolic risk marker because of its close anatomical proximity to the myocardium and coronary artery. This study aimed to evaluate epicardial fat thickness (EFT) in children with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and its relation to early atherosclerotic changes.

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: Vitamin D has regulatory effects on different cells of the immune system and low levels are associated with several immune-mediated diseases. : To investigate the association between neonatal 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) level and the expression of lymphocyte activation markers (HLA-DR, CD69, CD25, CD45RA) on T-lymphocyte subpopulations and its impact in neonatal infection. : 25-OHD level was measured in the cord blood of 56 neonates and their mothers using an enzyme immune-assay method.

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Background/aims: Homocysteine is an important and independent risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of homocysteine in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and their relation to carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) and left ventricular (LV) function.

Methods: This study included 36 children with classic CAH and 36 healthy children.

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Objective: Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is an emerging cardio-metabolic risk factor and has been shown to be related to atherosclerosis. EFT has not been studied in the context of CAH. This study aimed to evaluate EFT in children with CAH and its relation to carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) and left ventricular (LV) functions.

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Studies of cognitive function in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are few and controversial. This study aimed to investigate general intelligence and specific cognitive functions in children with salt wasting (SW) form of CAH and their relationship to demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables. This study included 36 children with classic 21 hydroxylase deficiency SW type of CAH (males = 12; females = 24; mean age = 15.

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Unlabelled: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a major complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study aimed to evaluate cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in children with T1D and its relation to different demographic, clinical and laboratory variable. This cross-sectional study included 60 children with T1D (mean age = 15.

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