Correlation analysis of pituitary sagittal height, anterior posterior diameter, coronal width, and pituitary stalk...

Based on MRI examination, to explore the relationship between pituitary sagittal height (PSH), anterior posterior diameter (APD), coronal width (CW), and pituitary stalk abnormalities (PSA) and short stature.

A retrospective study was performed on 257 children with suspected short stature admitted to hospitals from January 2020 to January 2024. Clinical data of the patient were collected, and MRI was used to measure the patient's PSH, APD, CW, and PSA. Spearman correlation analysis and ROC curve analysis were used to verify the relationship between PSH, APD, CW, and PSA, and short stature, as well as their predictive performance for short stature. Positive cases are defined as children diagnosed with short stature who appear 2 standard deviations (<-2SD) or less below average height for their age and sex in height measurements accompanied by abnormal growth hormone levels. In contrast, negative cases are those children whose height is within the normal range, that is, height not less than 2 standard deviations (>-2SD) below the average height for their age and sex, and whose growth hormone levels are within the normal range.

The GH peak values of<-2SD group, -2SD-3SD group, and >-3SD group, were 7.16 (4.58, 10.03) ng mL^-1, 6.75 (4.60, 8.87) ng mL^-1, and 6.54 (4.08, 9.27) ng mL^-1, respectively, showing a gradually decreasing trend, but the overall difference has no meaning (p>0.05). There was p<0.05 in PSH and pituitary volume among the three groups of patients, while there was p>0.05 in pituitary APD, CW, and PSA. The PSH and pituitary volume in the <-2SD group obviously surpassed -2SD∼-3SD groups (p<0.05). PSH was inactively related to short stature (ρ=-0.203, p=0.001), but not significantly correlated with pituitary APD, CW, and PSA (p>0.05). Pituitary volume has negative connection with short stature (ρ=-0.216, p<0.001). The AUC of PSH and combined diagnosis for predicting short stature were both greater than 0.6 and less than 0.7. PSH was positively correlated with IGF-1 (r=0.381, p<0.001) and TSH (r=0.377, p<0.001).

Pituitary APD, CW, and PSA are not associated with short stature, while PSH is associated with short stature. There is an obvious difference in PSH between children with non-short stature and those with short stature, but the role of PSH in predicting short stature and distinguishing short stature types is relatively poor.