Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: The work was initiated to compared extent of physical and sexual development retardation in adolescents with various neuroendocrine abnormalities.

Materials and methods: We examined 63 adolescents, 41 boys (59.4%) and 22 girls (34.9%) among them with various endocrine abnormalities. Mean age of boys and girls was 11.3 and 12 years, respectively. All patients underwent general clinical examination. Levels of STH, LH, FSH, prolactin, TSH, ACTH, cortisol were measured, biochemical and roentgenologic investigations, such as, CT, MRI of Turkish saddle, hand X-ray, clinical ultrasound of the thyroid and genitals as well as anthropometric measurements were performed. The patients’ endocrine status was assessed with Tanner’s score to determine puberty stage.

Results: By etiology of the abnormalities the patients were divided into four groups. The 1st group included 18 patients (28.6%) with the Turkish saddle neoplasms, 20 patients (31.7%) with empty Turkish saddle syndrome comprised the 2nd group; diabetes insipidus was diagnosed in 15 patients (23.8%) of the 3rd group, juvenile dyspiuitatarism being registered in 9 patients (14.3%) of the 4th group. Of 63 patients physical and sexual development retardation was observed in 26 (41.3%), growth retardation in 23 (36.5%), puberty arrest in 8 (12.7%), cryptorchidism and micropenis being found in two patients (3.2%) and 1 (1.6%) patient, respectively. As a whole, incidence of puberty retardation in 63 examinees exceeded isolated growth retardation by two times (44 vs 23). More than in 41.3% of cases growth retardation paralleled growth retardation suggesting panhypopituitarism in these patients. The isolated puberty arrest occurred less frequently, that is, in one patient (5.5%) of the 1st group, in two patients (10%) of the 2nd group, in three patients (20%) of the 3rd group and in one patient (11%) of the 4th.

Conclusions: i) Physical and sexual development retardation can be considered as a marker for high severity of neuroendocrine pathology. ii) Physical and sexual development retardation was observed in patients with the empty Turkish saddle syndrome (70%) and in those with the Turkish saddle neoplasms (60%).

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.