title: [Cerebral anomalies associated with growth hormone insufficiency in children: major markers for diagnosis?].
abstract: METHODS
  The role of cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) deficiency in children has been studied in 100 children. The diagnosis of GH deficiency was assessed at a mean age of 6.7 +/- 4.1 years: morphological abnormalities of the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) region have been studied in three different groups: in the first group (70 cases), the neurohypophysis was present and normally located; in the second group (ten cases) it was missing; in the third group (20 cases) the neurohypophysis was ectopic (truncated stalk syndrome with ectopic neurohypophysis, small antehypophysis, thin or non-visualized stalk).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the majority of cases, children presenting with only one morphological abnormality of the HP region (ectopic neurohypophysis or small antehypophysis or non-visualized or thin stalk) had an isolated GH deficiency. When multiple morphological abnormalities were present, anterior pituitary deficiency was multiple in more than half the cases. Cerebral midline anomalies (above all Chiari I malformation and basipharyngeal canal) had been observed in 20% of the children presenting with GH deficiency. In the majority of cases (95%), these anomalies were associated with one or more abnormalities of the HP region. A familial case is reported: morphological anomalies of the HP region were different for both siblings. Genetic factors are evoked.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of the hormone deficiency is correlated to the ectopic location of the neurohypophysis, the thin appearance or non visibility of the pituitary stalk and the associated midline anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Département d'imagerie pédiatrique, hôpital Robert-Debré, Paris, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arifa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Léger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czernichow
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000002:abnormalities*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index