Abstract
The final height of 27 children who developed growth hormone (GH) deficiency following treatment of an intracranial neoplasm (excluding craniopharyngioma) was studied. Eighteen children had tumours of the hypothalamo-pituitary tract, all but one of these had additional trophic hormone deficiencies. Nine children had other intracranial tumours, seven of these had isolated GH deficiency. Twelve patients finished with a height above the third centile for the population, but none fulfilled their genetic potential for stature. Sitting height was disproportionately reduced in all patients, this being even more pronounced in those with GH and gonadotrophin (Gn) deficiency. Patients with hypothalamo-pituitary tumours or those with GH and Gn deficiency showed significantly greater rise in height standard deviation score following therapy (p<0.005) than those with other cranial tumours or those who underwent spontaneous puberty. This was due largely to improved spinal growth. Sex of the patients and spinal irradiation were not significant factors in the overall response to therapy. It is postulated that cranial irradiation sufficient to cause GH deficiency may induce partial Gn deficiency in which sexual maturation occurs but the full effect of the pubertal spinal growth is not experienced
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Herber, S. Growth hormone therapy following intracranial neoplasia: the final outcome. Pediatr Res 18, 1212 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00071
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00071