Achard-Thiers syndrome
Achard-Thiers syndrome Case Study
A study has been made in one of the hospitals in Belgium to see the extent of the relationship between diabetes and the Achard Thiers syndrome. There were twenty subjects and most of them were selected because they have the following existing conditions: hirsutism, obesity, hypertension, angiopathy, and overt diabetes. Several biological and clinical investigations were made and they all pointed out that hypercorticism existed along with depressed activity of the insulin. There were some subjects who were observed with increased steroiduria and this was so with the non-hirsute diabetic patients. This study concluded that diabetes and the Achard-Thiers syndrome cannot be surely separated.
Achard-Thiers syndrome Causes
The cause of this disorder remains unknown.
Achard-Thiers syndrome Definition
The Achard Thiers syndrome, also called the Diabetic Bearded Woman syndrome or diabete des femmes a barbe, is a rare disease which occurs commonly among women who are in their postmenopausal stage. Its name was derived from the combination of the names of Joseph Thiers and Emile Achard. This is characterized by insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes mellitus (an example is glucosuria) and also indications of excess in androgen. This syndrome has the combined features of Cushing syndrome and Adrenogenital syndrome. It is a form of virilizing disease which is adrenocortical in origin. And since androgen is excessive on this disease, the common manifestations are masculinization (the voice pitch is lowered) and menstrual disorders (the menstrual flow can be sparse or non-existent). There are also cases of growth of ?manly hair' all over the body. The most common complication of this disorder is hirsutism.
Achard-Thiers syndrome Prevalence
This disease is categorized as a rare disorder by the Office of Rare Diseases. It means that the Achard-Thiers syndrome affects only less than 20,000 of the entire US population.
Achard-Thiers syndrome Treatment
The most effective treatment for Achard Thiers syndrome is to treat the underlying cause which is diabetes mellitus. An effective treatment should normalize the blood glucose and decrease the complications through the use of insulin replacement, exercise and proper diet. The present forms of insulin replacement are the multiple-dose, split-mixed dose, mixed-dose and single-dose regimens. The use of human insulin that has been purified is now common. Type 2 diabetic patients may need antidiabetic drugs that are administered orally to stimulate the production of endogenous insulin, to restrain hepatic gluconeogenesis, and increase sensitivity of the insulin at cellular level. For those who suffer from obesity, it is imperative for them to get rid of some of their excess weight. There are five types of drugs for diabetes treatment: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides, alpha-glucosidase and thiazolidinediones. These drugs enhance insulin action and also tend to lower the blood pressure of hypertensive patients.