Short stature is one of the common causes for referral to pediatric endocrinology clinic. A consensus statement published in 2008 by the American and European societies for pediatric endocrinology suggested a complete evaluation of short stature in order to rule out chronic diseases as the cause for short stature as the first line and then a growth hormone stimulation test.
Objectives: To assess the rate of pathological findings found in the evaluation of short children referred to the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit in Safra Children`s Hospital.
Methods: Retrospective study comprising 193 short children (height blow 3rd percentile) followed at the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit of The Edmond and Lily Safra Children`s Hospital between 2008-2014.
Results: More boys (55%) than girls (45%) were referred for short stature evaluation. The average age of the patients in their first visit was 9.18±3.36 years (range 3.08 – 15.39). Average height-SDS at first visit was -2.21±0.37,weight-SDS was -1.9±1 and BMI-SDS was -0.69±1.65. Average IGF1-SDS was -1.5±1.8 and bone age was younger than the chronological age with an average of 1.4±1.1 years. No child was diagnosed with thyroid problems or celiac disease. First dynamic assay was performed for 180 children (93%) for assessing the growth hormone level. Thirty-five (19%) were found to have a record low level hence they were referred for a second assay. Nineteen children (9.8%) were diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency based on two assays. One child was found to have a small pituitary gland in an MRI test.
Conclusions: Growth hormone deficiency was diagnosed in 10% of the children who were evaluated for short stature in a tertiary center. Only one child was diagnosed with a pathological finding in the pituitary gland.
