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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Linear growth and body mass index in pediatric patients with Cushing's disease or simple obesity

J E Greening1, H L Storr, S A McKenzie

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.

Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
|December 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Accurate height and BMI measurements can quickly differentiate simple obesity from Cushing's disease (CD) in children. This simple method may avoid the need for complex diagnostic investigations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Pediatric Obesity
  • Diagnostic Discrimination

Background:

  • Rising childhood obesity rates increase referrals for endocrine/metabolic evaluations.
  • Excluding Cushing's disease (CD) in overweight children often requires complex tests.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the diagnostic accuracy of height, weight, and BMI measurements.
  • To differentiate simple obesity (SO) from Cushing's disease (CD) in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Measured height, weight, and BMI in 25 pediatric patients with CD and 41 with SO.
  • Calculated BMI standard deviation scores (SDS) and height SDS.
  • Analyzed the ratio of BMI SDS to height SDS.

Main Results:

  • Children with CD had a lower mean BMI SDS compared to those with SO.
  • Height SDS was significantly lower in CD patients versus SO patients.
  • The BMI SDS to height SDS ratio was significantly decreased in CD patients.

Conclusions:

  • Simple height and BMI SDS measurements offer a sensitive and rapid diagnostic tool.
  • These measurements can help distinguish pediatric Cushing's disease from simple obesity.
  • This approach may reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures.
Abstract

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