Introduction: Idiopathic growth hormone deficiency may be isolated or associated with deficiency of other pituitary hormones. the use of brain MRI findings to differentiate between the two groups can be useful.
Methods: This descriptive study of the retrospective method, investigates all 2–6-year-old children, who referred to Sari Gardener Clinic between 1390 and 1396 with a short stature complaint, and diagnosed them with a single growth hormone deficiency or multiple hypophysis hormone deficiency. Patient file information that includes demographic information, history and clinical examination information, laboratory information, and paraclinical information were extracted.
Results: In this study, 150 patients, 63 of whom (42%) were girls, were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 34.71 ± 113.63 months. 68.7% showed a slight deficiency of growth hormone and 31.3% showed a severe deficiency of growth hormone. A total of 6.67% had a significant deficiency of pituitary hormones and 93.33% had an isolated deficiency of growth hormone. 79.33% of patients had normal Brain MRI and 20.67% had abnormal MRI. The findings included hypoplasia and 41% loss of adenohypophysis, 2.56% ectopic neurohypophysis, 12.82% pituitary microadenoma, 25.64% partial empty sella, 7.69% Complete empty sella and other reported findings were 10.25%.
Conclusion: In this study Pituitary abnormalities in brain MRI have been reported in patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency more than in patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency, However, it has not been established that the pathological findings detected on MRI are consistently associated with permanent growth hormone deficiency.