Endocrine disorders of growth and development Flashcards
When do individual children require further assessment of growth?
If:
- weight/height/BMI is <0.4th centile, unless already fully investigated at an earlier age
- height centile is >3 centile spaced below the mid-parental centile
- drop in height centile of >2 centile spaces
What are the requirements for normal human growth?
- absence of chronic disease
- emotional stability, secure family
- adequate nutrition
- normal hormone growth/ growth factor actions
- healthy growth plates
How should short stature be evaluated? (4 aspects)
- height centile vs. weight centile
- failure to thrive/failure to grow - when it started
- in utero/infancy/childhood/puberty - body proportions
- primary or secondary growth disorder - presenting signs
- Idiopathic Short Stature or specific diagnosis
Why might growth be stunted in:
a. infancy
b. childhood
c. puberty
a. infancy = poor nutrition
b. childhood = GH/thyroid issue
c. puberty = GH/sex hormone/thyroid issue
How is height velocity calculated?
Take serial height (for 6-12 months) and plot over time
compare height velocity to accepted age-related standard
What is the most common causes of short stature?
Delay in bone age + SHOX haploinsufficiency
What is considered to be delayed bone growth?
2 standard deviations below the chronological age
Why might growth failure/short stature be disproportionate?
Skeletal dysplasia examples: - achondroplasia - hypochondroplasia - rickets - Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis
Why might growth failure/short stature be proportionate?
Psychosocial assessment (psychosocial growth retardation) Karyotype (girls - Turner syndrome) Tests for systemic disorders (chronic renal insufficiency; gastrointestinal disease; nutritional deficiency Tests for endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, hypercortisolism)
How is the standard deviation for height calculated?
Plot the sitting height against subiscial length on a graph
Take subiscial length away from sitting height
SDS = measurement - mean / SD (at the relevant age)
What are the different classifications of limb shortening?
Rhizomelic = proximal (e.g. femur) Mesomelic = shortening of middle part Acromelic = shortening of extremities
*can have overlap between these
What is achondroplasia? What gene is mutated? What is this gene responsible for?
Condition that results in dwarfism - lack of long bone elongation
Arises from mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene
This gene is responsible for the ossification at growth plates
What is hypochondroplasia? What gene is mutated?
This is a milder form of achrondroplasia - features are more subtle and short stature is only noticed later in life
Arises from a mutation in the FGFR3 gene –> receptor is able to retain some of its function and therefore there is still some ossification of long bones
What is Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis? Which gene is mutated? What are the features of this condition?
This is a pseuodoautosomal dominant genetic condition which results in dwarfism
Mutation occurs in the SHOX gene found in the pseuodoautosomal region of PAR1 in the X and Y chromosomes
Features of this condition are:
- mesomelic limb shortening
- reduced subiscial length
- madelung deformity of the forearm
What is Madelung deformity? What is commonly seen on an x-ray showing Madelung deformity?
Features:
- Bowing of the radius
- dorsal dislocation/displacement of the ulna
- premature epiphyseal fusion
X-ray:
- show a v-shape between the ulna and radius