Reduced pituitary volume in children with short stature: clinical and radiological correlates

A retrospective evaluation of 80 cases of growth retardation evaluated at the Hôpital Sainte-Justine of Montreal has revealed that 20 of them (25%; 15 boys and 5 girls) had a reduction of pituitary volume as revealed by high-resolution CT scanning of the pituitary gland. Of these patients, 8 had complete growth hormone (GH) deficiency, as evaluated by arginine infusion and L-Dopa-propranolol testing and nocturnal blood sampling, and 3 had GH neurosecretory dysfunction. Five patients had combined or multiple hormonal deficiencies. A statistically significant correlation was found between nocturnal plasma GH values and pituitary volumes. From this study it can be concluded that reduced pituitary volume is a frequent finding in growth-retarded children with hypopituitarism.