Pituitary dwarfism, or growth hormone deficiency, is a medical disorder in which the pituitary gland does not make enough growth hormone.
This results in a child's slow growth pattern and an abnormally small stature (below average height).
Children with pituitary dwarfism have normal intelligence and with early detection and treatment, many of them can also achieve a normal height.
Pituitary gland dysfunction can be congenital, meaning the child was born with the disorder, or can be acquired during or after birth.
It is likely to run in families.
Acquired disorders may be the effect of a medical disorder.
Causes of acquired pituitary dwarfism are:
1. Brain tumors
2. Diseases that affect the pituitary or hypothalamus,
3. Head trauma,
4. Radiation therapy for certain cancers, and
5. An autoimmune condition called lymphocytic hypophysitis
The essential symptom of pituitary dwarfism is below-average growth, even though body proportions may be normal.
Slow growth may first be observed in infancy and persist through childhood.
Children with growth hormone deficiency have a gradual or flat rate of growth.
The slow growth may not appear until a child is 2 or 3 years old.
The child may have normal body proportions, but may look chubby.
The child will still have an immature face appearance, a chubby body, a prominent forehead, and a poorly developed bridge of the nose.
The child's face often appears younger than other children of the same age.
A physical examination, such as weight, height, and body proportions, will reveal signs of slowed growth rate.
The child will not have the normal growth curves.
Hand x-ray can detect bone age.
1. Growth hormone induces the body to make insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3).
These are substances that growth hormones induce the body to make.
Tests can evaluate these growth factors.
2. Accurate growth hormone deficiency testing requires a growth hormone stimulation test.
This test may last several hours. Provocative stimuli are insulin-induced hypoglycemia, arginine, levodopa (L-dopa), clonidine, and glucagon
3. MRI of the head can reveal the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.
Pituitary dwarfism is treated with regulated frequent injections of synthetic human growth hormone before a child's growth plates have attached together.
The treatment requires growth hormone injections once a day given at home.
It can be complicated to treat, however, and success rates may differ.
Older children can often be taught how to give themselves the injection.
The treatment with growth hormone is normally prolonged, often for several years.
The earlier the disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better the possibility that a child will grow to near-normal adult height.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Pituitary Dwarfism
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Growth Failure
Chapter 8 Hypopituitarism
Epilogue
This results in a child's slow growth pattern and an abnormally small stature (below average height).
Children with pituitary dwarfism have normal intelligence and with early detection and treatment, many of them can also achieve a normal height.
Pituitary gland dysfunction can be congenital, meaning the child was born with the disorder, or can be acquired during or after birth.
It is likely to run in families.
Acquired disorders may be the effect of a medical disorder.
Causes of acquired pituitary dwarfism are:
1. Brain tumors
2. Diseases that affect the pituitary or hypothalamus,
3. Head trauma,
4. Radiation therapy for certain cancers, and
5. An autoimmune condition called lymphocytic hypophysitis
The essential symptom of pituitary dwarfism is below-average growth, even though body proportions may be normal.
Slow growth may first be observed in infancy and persist through childhood.
Children with growth hormone deficiency have a gradual or flat rate of growth.
The slow growth may not appear until a child is 2 or 3 years old.
The child may have normal body proportions, but may look chubby.
The child will still have an immature face appearance, a chubby body, a prominent forehead, and a poorly developed bridge of the nose.
The child's face often appears younger than other children of the same age.
A physical examination, such as weight, height, and body proportions, will reveal signs of slowed growth rate.
The child will not have the normal growth curves.
Hand x-ray can detect bone age.
1. Growth hormone induces the body to make insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3).
These are substances that growth hormones induce the body to make.
Tests can evaluate these growth factors.
2. Accurate growth hormone deficiency testing requires a growth hormone stimulation test.
This test may last several hours. Provocative stimuli are insulin-induced hypoglycemia, arginine, levodopa (L-dopa), clonidine, and glucagon
3. MRI of the head can reveal the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.
Pituitary dwarfism is treated with regulated frequent injections of synthetic human growth hormone before a child's growth plates have attached together.
The treatment requires growth hormone injections once a day given at home.
It can be complicated to treat, however, and success rates may differ.
Older children can often be taught how to give themselves the injection.
The treatment with growth hormone is normally prolonged, often for several years.
The earlier the disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better the possibility that a child will grow to near-normal adult height.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Pituitary Dwarfism
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Growth Failure
Chapter 8 Hypopituitarism
Epilogue
