High frequency of empty sella syndrome in children with growth hormone deficiency.
Computer-assisted tomography (CT) with 2 mm axial sections and reconstructions was carried out in 31 children affected by GH deficiency (GHD): 18 with idiopathic complete isolated GHD, 3 with idiopathic partial isolated GHD, 2 with idiopathic panhypopituitarism, 4 with isolated acquired GHD and 4 with acquired panhypopituitarism. Density in the intrasellar area on CT corresponded to that of cerebrospinal fluid in 13/20 cases with idiopathic hypopituitarism and in 2/8 cases with acquired hypopituitarism. The overall incidence of primary empty sella syndrome (PESS) in the GH deficient patients studied was thus over 48%, while in children without endocrine dysfunction, it was only 5/213 (2.4%). It is concluded that PESS is more frequent in childhood than assumed until now and that it is frequently associated with GHD.
Pocecco
M
M
Clinica Pediatrica, Ospedale Infantile Burlo Garofolo, Università di Trieste, Italy.
de Campo
C
C
Marinoni
S
S
Tommasini
G
G
Basso
T
T
Muzzolini
C
C
Sacher
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000097:blood; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000097:blood; D004652:Empty Sella Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000097:blood
D013006:Growth Hormone