Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Growth before and during growth hormone treatment in children operated for craniopharyngioma
M Hogeveen1, C Noordam, B Otten
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
Insights
Human growth hormone (hGH) therapy significantly improved height standard deviation scores (SDS) in pediatric craniopharyngioma patients. Spontaneous growth was linked to prolactin levels, but hGH treatment effectively boosted height SDS over two years without impacting BMI SDS.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Pediatric Oncology
- Growth Hormone Therapy
Background:
- Craniopharyngioma treatment can disrupt normal growth patterns in children.
- Growth hormone deficiency is a common sequela of craniopharyngioma and its treatment.
- Understanding growth dynamics and the efficacy of growth hormone replacement is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate height and weight changes in Dutch patients with craniopharyngioma before and during human growth hormone (hGH) treatment.
- To investigate factors influencing spontaneous growth post-tumor treatment.
- To assess the impact of hGH therapy on height and body mass index (BMI) standard deviation scores (SDS).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 46 Dutch patients treated for craniopharyngioma.
- Measurement of height and weight (expressed as BMI SDS) at various time points: initial diagnosis, post-tumor treatment, and during hGH therapy.
- Correlation analysis between growth parameters, age, basal prolactin (PRL) levels, tumor localization, and treatment modality.
Main Results:
- Initial height SDS was inversely related to age. Post-tumor treatment, height SDS decreased, and BMI SDS increased significantly within the first year.
- Changes in height SDS correlated positively with basal prolactin levels; tumor characteristics did not influence growth changes.
- hGH treatment, initiated a median of 2.0 years post-tumor treatment, significantly increased height SDS in the first and second years (p < 0.001), while BMI SDS remained unchanged.
Conclusions:
- Significant variability exists in height and BMI SDS among craniopharyngioma patients at presentation and during spontaneous growth.
- Serum prolactin concentrations are associated with spontaneous growth patterns after tumor treatment.
- hGH therapy is effective in improving height SDS in pediatric craniopharyngioma patients over the first two years of treatment.
Abstract:
Height and weight growth before and during treatment with human growth hormone (hGH) was studied in 46 Dutch patients treated for craniopharyngioma. Weight was expressed as body mass index (BMI, weight/height). At the time of tumor treatment mean +/- SD height standard deviation score (SDS) was -1.22 +/- 1.38 and BMI SDS was 0.56 +/- 1.32. The initial height SDS was inversely related to age (r = -0.38; p < 0.02). Before hGH treatment height SDS decreased to - 1.57 +/- 1.08 (p < 0.05) and BMI SDS increased to 1.54 +/- 1.58 (p < 0.005) during the first year after tumor treatment. Changes in height SDS correlated positively with basal prolactin (PRL) levels (r = 0.46; p < 0.05). Neither tumor localization nor treatment mode was related to changes in height SDS and BMI SDS. Forty patients were treated with hGH, started a median interval of 2.0 years after tumor treatment. At the time of the start of hGH treatment height SDS in these patients was -1.70 +/- 1.13, and BMI SDS was 1.44 +/- 1.79. During treatment with hGH, height SDS increased to -1.05 +/- 1.10 (p < 0.001) in the first, and to -0.80 +/- 1.04 (p < 0.001) in the second year. BMI SDS did not change during hGH therapy. In conclusion, there is a large variation in height SDS and BMI SDS at the time of initial presentation as well as during spontaneous growth after tumor treatment. Spontaneous growth is related to serum PRL concentrations. Treatment with hGH significantly increased height SDS during the first 2 years, whereas BMI SDS did not change.
