Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: SUB:Pituitary – Clinical (Generously supported by IPSEN)It is still unclear whether obesity in craniopharyngioma (CP) is caused by disorders in food regulation or by changes in mood or activity due to depression or sleepiness leading to a decrease in energy consumption. We compared CP to patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) by using standardized questionnaires to clarify this question.

Methods: We compared 31 CP (m=14, f=17, median age: 53 years (26–77)) to 26 NFPA (m=19, f=7, median age: 65 years (44–80)). Patients were asked to complete eleven standardized German questionnaires. Two questionnaires evaluated eating disorders (FEV, Eating-Disorder-Examination-Questionnaire), one depression (BDI, Beck-Depression-Inventory), one anxiety (STAI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), three health-related quality of life (SF-36, EuroQoL, Qol-AGHDA), two sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), two personality (EPQ-RK, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised; TPQ, Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire) and one body image (FKB-20).

Results: Both groups had the same prevalence of hormonal insufficiencies of the anterior pituitary. Patients with CP scored significantly higher in concious hunger perception (FEV, CP 6 scores (1–12), NFPA 2 scores (0–11), P=0.016) and in the Eating-Disorder-Examination-Questionnaire (CP 1.7 scores (0.1–3.7), NFPA 0.8 scores (0–4.4), P=0.039). In the latter the score for the subscale eating concern were higher compared to NFPA (CP 2 scores (0–5), NFPA 0.8 scores (0–6), P=0.04). Furthermore, they had higher scores in anxiety (STAI, CP 39 scores (23–60), NFPA 32 scores (23–62), P=0.052) and disturbed eating behaviour (FEV, CP 5 scores (0–12), NFPA 3 scores (0–13), P=0.064), but without reaching statistical significance. No differences could be seen in depression, personality, quality of life or sleepiness.

Conclusion: CP score higher in questionnaires of eating disorders than NFPA but not in questionnaires concerning mood or activity. Therefore, obesity in CP appears to be a consequence of eating disorders.

*This work was partly, financially supported by Ipsen GmbH.