title: Pituitary microadenomas in children: a cause of growth failure.
abstract: Six children, originally regarded as being affected by prepubertal idiopathic growth failure, were found to have pituitary microadenomas. In all six patients, the growth failure (less than or equal to 2 cm/yr) was the primary clinical sign, and was accompanied by a growth hormone deficiency that was discovered during the laboratory evaluation. Prominent alteration of the sella turcica was not demonstrated in the skull x-ray examinations of any of the children, even when the x-ray examinations were supplemented by hypocycloidal tomography. CT scanning proved to be a very useful integrating diagnostic procedure, revealing the adenoma to be a nodular area of increased density within the sella turcica. In all of the children, resumption of normal growth was obtained following the surgical removal of the tumor through a transsphenoidal approach.
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery