Publications by authors named "Janielle van Alfen-van der Velden"

Background: Most girls with Turner syndrome (TS) require pubertal induction with estrogen, followed by long term replacement. However, no adequately powered prospective studies comparing transdermal with oral 17β-estradiol administration exist. This reflects the difficulty of securing funding to study a rare condition with relatively low morbidity/mortality when competing against conditions such as cancer and vascular disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the growth hormone (GH) levels and the prevalence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in young adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) who were previously treated with GH.
  • - Out of 60 individuals studied, only 3% had low serum IGF-I levels, and 15% showed GH peaks below the threshold, but none met the full criteria for adult GHD despite some showing lower GH peaks associated with higher BMI and fat mass.
  • - The findings suggest that while some young adults with PWS exhibit lower GH peaks, the overall prevalence of adult GHD in this population is not significant, indicating that GH therapy has been effective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: In postgraduate medical education, group decision-making has emerged as an essential tool to evaluate the clinical progress of residents. Clinical competency committees (CCCs) have been set up to ensure informed decision-making and provide feedback regarding performance of residents. Despite this important task, it remains unclear how CCCs actually function in practice and how their performance should be evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare birth defect with a high mortality and morbidity. Nonscrotal testes (NST) are the most reported genital anomaly in boys. Both defects have known associated anomalies, but little is known about the association between CDH and NST.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: The prevalence of osteoporosis is increased in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). In children with PWS, growth hormone (GH) treatment has beneficial effects on bone mineral density (BMD). BMD might deteriorate after cessation of GH at adult height (AH), while continuing GH might maintain BMD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder characterized by the (partial) absence or a structural aberration of the second sex chromosome and is associated with a variety of phenotypes with specific physical features and cardio-aortic malformations. The objective of this study was to gain a better insight into the differences in dysmorphic features between girls and women with TS and to explore the association between these features, karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations.

Methods: This prospective study investigated 14 dysmorphic features of TS girls and women using a checklist.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21 hydroxylase deficiency is a genetic disorder that leads to hypocortisolism, hyperandrogenism and, in the most severe forms, also to hypoaldosteronism. Girls with classic CAH are born with virilized external genitalia. Prenatal dexamethasone (DXM) treatment can reduce virilization but may have side effects for mother and fetus.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Turner syndrome affects 25-50 per 100,000 females and can involve multiple organs through all stages of life, necessitating multidisciplinary approach to care. Previous guidelines have highlighted this, but numerous important advances have been noted recently. These advances cover all specialty fields involved in the care of girls and women with TS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report the case of a 16-year-old female patient with hypothyroidism, goiter, and pancytopenia. Biopsy of the thyroid showed leukemic infiltration. After confirmation of the diagnosis of B-lymphoblastic leukemia, treatment was started.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are severely at risk to develop morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2, and cardiovascular disease, leading to high mortality. They have an increased fat mass (FM) and decreased lean body mass (LBM). During childhood, GH treatment counteracts the natural course of increasing obesity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims And Objectives: To investigate the assessment of psychosocial problems in children with type 1 diabetes by means of clinical estimations made by nurses and paediatricians and by using standardised questionnaires.

Background: Although children with type 1 diabetes and their parents show increased risk for psychosocial problems, standardised assessment of these problems lacks in diabetes care.

Design: By comparing these different modes of assessment, using a cross-sectional design, information about the additional value of using standardised questionnaires is provided.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the effect of physical training combined with growth hormone (GH) on muscle thickness and its relationship with muscle strength and motor development in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 22 infants with PWS (12.9 ± 7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate karyotype-specific ear and hearing problems in young-adult patients with Turner syndrome (TS) and assess the effects of previous treatment with oxandrolone (Ox).

Study Design: Double-blind follow-up study.

Setting: University hospital.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The GATA family zinc finger transcription factors GATA4 and GATA6 are known to play important roles in the development of the pancreas. In mice, both Gata4 and Gata6 are required for pancreatic development. In humans, GATA6 haploinsufficiency can cause pancreatic agenesis and heart defects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Turner syndrome (TS) is the result of (partial) X chromosome monosomy. In general, the diagnosis is based on karyotyping of 30 blood lymphocytes. This technique, however, does not rule out tissue mosaicism or low grade mosaicism in the blood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although severe motor problems in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are striking, motor development has never been studied longitudinally and the results of growth hormone (GH) treatment on motor development are contradictory. The authors studied whether GH treatment can enhance the effect of physical training on motor development in infants with PWS. Twenty-two infants were followed for two years during a randomized controlled trial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Short stature is a prominent feature of Turner syndrome (TS), which is partially overcome by GH treatment. We have previously reported the results of a trial on the effect of oxandrolone (Ox) in girls with TS. Ox in a dose of 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To assess cardiac anatomy and myocardial systolic function in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).

Methods: Physical examination, electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings and transthoracic echocardiograms including two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) were performed and evaluated in the Radboud University Hospital Nijmegen, the Netherlands. In total, 19 children diagnosed with PWS and 38 age-matched control subjects underwent cardiac evaluation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Panhypopituitarism in childhood is rare. It is even rarer if the disorder appears in a boy with an identical but healthy twin brother. In such a patient it is useful to study the consequences of the hormone disorder and the effect of hormone replacement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF