Preliminary study of longitudinal changes in the pituitary and brain of children on growth hormone therapy - 05/01/22
This article has been published in an issue click here to access
Highlights |
• | IGHD children have smaller pituitary gland, hippocampus and amygdalas. |
• | MRI provides an objective assessment of rhGH therapy response. |
• | MRI assessment could optimize the diagnostic protocols for a short stature child. |
Abstract |
Background |
In subjects with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD), recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is an approved method to achieve potential mid-parental height. However, data reporting rhGH treatment response in terms of brain structure volumes were scarce. We report the volumetric changes of the pituitary gland, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala in these subjects post rhGH treatment.
Materials and methods |
This was a longitudinal study of eight IGHD subjects (2 males, 6 females) with a mean age of 11.1 ± 0.8 years and age-matched control groups. The pituitary gland, basal ganglia and limbic structures volumes were obtained using 3T MRI voxel-based morphology. The left-hand bone age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse method. Follow-up imaging was performed after an average of 1.8 ± 0.4 years on rhGH.
Results |
Subjects with IGHD had a smaller mean volume of the pituitary gland, right thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala than the controls. After rhGH therapy, these volumes normalized to the age-matched controls. Corpus callosum of IGHD subjects had a larger mean volume than the controls and did not show much volume changes in response to rhGH therapy. There were changes towards normalization of bone age deficit of IGHD in response to rhGH therapy.
Conclusion |
The pituitary gland, hippocampus, and amygdala volumes in IGHD subjects were smaller than age-matched controls and showed the most response to rhGH therapy. Semi-automated volumetric assessment of pituitary gland, hippocampus, and amygdala using MRI may provide an objective assessment of response to rhGH therapy
El texto completo de este artículo está disponible en PDF.Graphical abstract |
Keywords : Isolated growth hormone deficiency, Recombinant human growth hormone, MRI, Volume, Pituitary
Esquema
Bienvenido a EM-consulte, la referencia de los profesionales de la salud.
El acceso al texto completo de este artículo requiere una suscripción.
¿Ya suscrito a @@106933@@ revista ?