Height, BMI, and pituitary volume in individuals with and without isolated cleft lip and/or palate.
BACKGROUND
Individuals with isolated cleft lip and/or palate (ICLP) are often reported to be of shorter stature relative to peers, and the objective of this study was to explore the role of the pituitary in relationship to growth.


METHODS
Fifty-five males and 32 females with ICLP were compared to 121 healthy males and 158 healthy females with respect to height and BMI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from all ICLP participants and 47% of healthy group participants.


RESULTS
Males with ICLP were shorter than healthy males and had lower BMI. However, the trajectories for height and BMI did not differ between groups. Analyses in a separate sample of adult males suggested that height normalizes in males with ICLP in their early 30s. There were no differences in mean pituitary volume and pituitary trajectories between male groups. Females with ICLP were shorter than healthy females and also had slower growth rates. They did not differ in mean BMI or BMI trajectories. Furthermore, there were no differences in mean pituitary volume, or in pituitary trajectories.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that there are no gross morphological differences in pituitary volume in individuals with ICLP, although more subtle differences may exist.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. ellen-vanderplas@uiowa.edu
Ellen
E
van der Plas
Chelsea J
CJ
Caspell
Andrea M
AM
Aerts
Eva
E
Tsalikian
Lynn C
LC
Richman
Jeffrey D
JD
Dawson
Peg
P
Nopoulos
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult