RESUMO
Wilson's disease typically presents symptoms associated with liver damage or neuropsychiatric disturbances, while endocrinologic abnormalities are rare. We report an unprecedented case of hypopituitarism in a patient with Wilson's disease. A 40-year-old woman presented with depression, general weakness and anorexia. Laboratory tests and imaging studies were compatible with liver cirrhosis due to Wilson's disease. Basal hormone levels and pituitary function tests indicated secondary hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency due to hypopituitarism. Brain MRI showed T2 hyperintense signals in both basal ganglia and midbrain but the pituitary imaging was normal. She is currently receiving chelation therapy along with thyroid hormone and steroid replacement. There may be a relationship between Wilson's disease and hypopituitarism. Copper deposition or secondary neuronal damage in the pituitary may be a possible explanation for this theory.
Assuntos
Degeneração Hepatolenticular/complicações , Hipopituitarismo/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Adrenal/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Adrenal/etiologia , Adulto , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Depressão/etiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Hipopituitarismo/complicações , Hipopituitarismo/tratamento farmacológico , Hipotireoidismo/diagnóstico , Hipotireoidismo/etiologia , Cirrose Hepática/complicações , Cirrose Hepática/diagnóstico por imagem , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Esteroides/uso terapêutico , Hormônio Liberador de Tireotropina/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) microspheres, crosslinked and surface-functionalized by amine, can be used as a solid-state template for the synthesis of gold (Au) crystals in the forms of either nanoparticles (NPs) or plates. It is discovered that the polymer microsphere acts as an internal template to cultivate Au NPs inside the microsphere or an external template to generate the single-crystal plates depending on the critical concentration (Ccr ) of gold ions. The ion-dipole interaction and the structure-dependent solubility of gold induce two distinct gold nanostructures in the presence of the functionalized polymer microspheres. The catalytic activity and long-term storage of the developed gold nanostructures that can be easily scaled-up for mass production through the developed novel methodology is demonstrated.
