title: High frequency of empty sella syndrome in children with growth hormone deficiency.
abstract: 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.
authors: Clinica Pediatrica, Ospedale Infantile Burlo Garofolo, Università di Trieste, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Pocecco
authors: C
authors: C
authors: de Campo
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Marinoni
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Tommasini
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Basso
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Muzzolini
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Sacher
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone