title: Adult Quality of Life and Psychosocial Outcomes of Childhood Onset Hypopituitarism.
abstract: BACKGROUD/AIMS: Poor quality of life (QoL) has been reported in adults with growth hormone deficiency. Few studies have examined QoL in adults with childhood onset multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (COMPHD). We evaluated QoL in adults with COMPHD.
  
  
  METHODS
  COMPHD participants aged ≥18 years were identified from hospital medical records and the clinics of one author (M.Z.). Age- and sex-matched controls were recruited for every participant. The World Health Organization QoL Questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Male Sexual Quotient (MSQ) were used to measure QoL, psychological distress and psychosexual function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two (68.1%) patients (males 55%; mean age 29.7 years, range 18-61) participated. COMPHD was caused by a brain tumour in 63 (68.5%), congenital hypopituitarism in 19 (20.1%), other cancers in 7 (7.6%) and trauma in 3 (3.3%) patients. COMPHD participants were shorter and more overweight, reported more childhood behavioural problems and had less education, more unemployment, lower marital rates and incomes and fewer children compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05 for each). Although they scored lower in all QoL domains (p ≤ 0.001) and psychosexual function (FSFI and MSQ, p < 0.001), there was no difference in reported psychological distress (p = 0.119). QoL was influenced by background diagnosis and treatment in a subgroup analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adults with COMPHD have a significantly lower QoL compared to physically healthy peers. Difficulties in psychosocial and psychosexual function in these patients need to be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Kung-Ting
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stargatt
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zacharin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D001828:Body Image; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D019529:Sexuality; D012919:Social Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone