Publications by authors named "Ida Pucarelli"

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) represents one of the most frequent yet enigmatic conditions in pediatric endocrinology. Traditionally defined by auxological parameters in the absence of identifiable causes, ISS has long served as a diagnosis of exclusion. However, with the advent of next-generation sequencing, our understanding of the etiological landscape has significantly evolved.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Oxidative stress, defined as an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs), such as Turner syndrome (TS) and Klinefelter syndrome (KS). Pediatric patients with SCAs are particularly susceptible due to hormonal deficiencies, metabolic disturbances, and systemic complications.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in November 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/objectives: Water-soluble vitamins, comprising the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, are essential for normal growth, cellular metabolism, and immune function in pediatric populations. Due to limited storage in the body, these vitamins require consistent intake to prevent deficiencies. Pediatric populations, particularly infants and young children, face a heightened risk of both deficiency and, in rare cases, toxicity due to varying dietary intake and increased developmental needs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Puberty identifies the transition from childhood to adulthood. Precocious puberty is the onset of signs of pubertal development before age eight in girls and before age nine in boys, it has an incidence of 1/5000-1/10,000 with an F:M ratio ranging from 3:1 to 20:1. Precocious puberty can be divided into central, also known as gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty or true precocious puberty, and peripheral, also recognized as gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty or precocious pseudopuberty.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are a hallmark of many autoimmune diseases and can be detected many years before disease onset. Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) are frequently associated with other organ- and non-organ-specific autoimmune disorders. Objectives.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder; however, little is known about the exercise tolerance of patients with this syndrome. The aim of the present study was to measure the maximal aerobic capacity and cardiac function using cardiopulmonary exercise testing and lung function tests and to evaluate the cardiac parameters using echocardiography in patients with TS and control subjects. A total of 50 women with TS (mean age 21.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ectopic intrathyroidal thymus is often misidentified as a thyroid nodule in children, leading to unnecessary surgeries or procedures.
  • A follow-up study involving 9 children showed that these thymic inclusions can be detected via ultrasound and appear as hypoechoic areas with distinct internal echoes.
  • The study concluded that these inclusions are benign and self-limiting, emphasizing the need for awareness of this condition to avoid misdiagnosis, especially as thyroid ultrasound use increases in pediatric populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluated the effects of GnRH analog treatment on adult height, body mass index, bone mineral density, and reproductive function in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty.
  • A total of 87 patients were analyzed, showing a significant increase in adult height compared to pretreatment projections, with normal hormonal function and menstrual patterns observed after treatment.
  • The findings suggest that while GnRHa is safe and effective for managing ICPP, individual responses can vary, indicating the need to consider more factors than just height in treatment decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Juvenile patients affected with autoimmune thyroid disorders showed a 14-21% prevalence of parietal cell antibodies (PCA) reacting against the H+/K+-ATPase of the gastric parietal cells. PCA are the principal immunological markers of atrophic body gastritis (ABG).ABG is characterized by loss of oxyntic glands, achlorhydria, and hypergastrinemia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Out of 35 girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty treated with GnRHa, 17 received additional growth hormone (GH) for enhanced growth over 2-4 years, while 18 matched controls used only GnRHa.
  • Both groups stopped treatment at similar bone ages (average of 13.4 years for those on both treatments vs. 13.0 years for GnRHa alone).
  • The addition of GH resulted in a significantly higher adult height (161.2 cm) compared to predicted heights, whereas the GnRHa only group showed a lesser height gain when compared to pre-treatment expected values.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF