Endocrine Flashcards
(480 cards)
What are the normal patterns of growth and growth velocity by age?
- First year: ~25 cm/year
- Toddler years: ~10–12 cm/year
- Childhood: ~5–7 cm/year
- Puberty: ~8–12 cm/year.
How is short stature defined and approached in pediatrics?
- Height <2 SD below mean for age and sex.
- Approach: History, examination, growth charts, labs, bone age X-ray.
What are the causes of proportionate short stature?
- Causes:
- Constitutional delay
- Familial short stature
- Chronic systemic illnesses
- Endocrinopathies
- Malnutrition.
What are the causes of disproportionate short stature?
- Causes:
- Skeletal dysplasias (e.g., achondroplasia)
- Rickets
- Turner syndrome
- SHOX deficiency.
How should the evaluation of a child with short stature be conducted?
- Evaluation:
- Monitor growth velocity
- Bone age
- CBC, ESR, TSH, IGF-1/IGFBP-3
- Karyotype (if female)
- MRI brain (if pituitary abnormality suspected).
How do familial short stature, constitutional growth delay, and pathological causes differ?
- Familial short stature: Normal bone age, parental height short.
- Constitutional delay: Delayed bone age, delayed puberty.
- Pathologic: Poor growth velocity, systemic or dysmorphic signs.
What are the features, diagnosis, and treatment of growth hormone deficiency in children?
- Features: Short stature, delayed skeletal maturation.
- Diagnosis: Low IGF-1, failed GH stimulation test.
- Treatment: Daily recombinant human GH injections.
How does Turner syndrome present with growth failure?
- Features: Short stature, webbed neck, shield chest.
- Diagnosis: Karyotype (45,X).
- Management: GH therapy started early.
What are SHOX gene mutations and their relation to short stature?
- SHOX mutations cause mesomelic limb shortening.
- Seen in Turner syndrome and isolated SHOX deficiency.
- Leads to proportionate or disproportionate short stature.
What is the approach to growth hormone therapy in pediatrics?
- Indications: GHD, Turner syndrome, SGA without catch-up.
- Daily subcutaneous injections.
- Monitor growth response and IGF-1 levels.
How is bone age interpreted in the evaluation of short stature?
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Bone Age Interpretation:
- Delayed bone age: Constitutional delay, GH deficiency, hypothyroidism.
- Normal bone age: Familial short stature.
- Advanced bone age: Precocious puberty, hyperthyroidism.
How should poor growth velocity be approached clinically?
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Poor Growth Velocity Approach:
- Height velocity <4 cm/year after age 3 is abnormal.
- Evaluate systemic illnesses, nutrition, endocrine causes.
- Repeat growth measurements every 6 months.
How is growth monitored in children with chronic diseases (e.g., IBD, CKD)?
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Growth Monitoring in Chronic Disease:
- Plot growth every 3–6 months.
- Watch for growth deceleration as early marker of disease flare.
- Adjust treatment to minimize growth suppression (e.g., steroid-sparing therapy).
How does celiac disease present with growth failure?
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Celiac Disease and Growth Failure:
- May present with isolated short stature without GI symptoms.
- Screen with tissue transglutaminase IgA (TTG-IgA) and total IgA.
- Confirm by small bowel biopsy.
What is psychosocial short stature (deprivation dwarfism)?
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Psychosocial Short Stature (Deprivation Dwarfism):
- Growth failure due to emotional deprivation.
- Features: Poor growth despite adequate nutrition, bizarre eating behaviors.
- Growth improves when child removed from adverse environment.
What endocrine disorders besides GH deficiency can cause short stature?
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Endocrine Causes Besides GHD:
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing syndrome
- Diabetes mellitus (poorly controlled)
- Hypopituitarism (multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies).
What are disorders of the IGF-1 axis, and how are they diagnosed?
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Disorders of the IGF-1 Axis:
- Primary IGF-1 deficiency (e.g., Laron syndrome).
- Features: Severe postnatal growth failure, high GH, low IGF-1.
- Diagnosed by IGF-1 levels and GH stimulation testing.
How is small for gestational age (SGA) related to growth failure?
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SGA and Growth Failure:
- ~90% catch-up by age 2 years.
- Failure to catch up by 2–4 years suggests need for GH therapy evaluation.
- Screen for dysmorphic syndromes if no catch-up.
What are examples of genetic syndromes causing short stature besides Turner syndrome?
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Genetic Syndromes Causing Short Stature:
- Noonan syndrome
- Russell-Silver syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- SHOX gene haploinsufficiency without Turner syndrome.
What red flags suggest an urgent need for endocrinology referral in a child with short stature?
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Red Flags for Endocrine Referral:
- Height <–3 SD for age
- Poor growth velocity (<4 cm/year)
- Dysmorphic features
- Severe delayed bone age
- Signs of systemic or endocrine disease (e.g., hypothyroidism).
What is catch-up growth after chronic illness, and how is it monitored?
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Catch-up Growth:
- Accelerated growth after resolution of chronic illness (e.g., malnutrition, IBD, CKD).
- Requires regular monitoring every 3–6 months.
- Failure to catch up suggests persistent underlying disease or endocrine dysfunction.
How does hypothyroidism affect growth and bone maturation in children?
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Hypothyroidism Effects:
- Severe growth failure with delayed bone age.
- Weight gain despite poor linear growth.
- Bone age typically much less than chronological age.
- Prompt treatment with levothyroxine improves growth.
How does Cushing syndrome impact linear growth in pediatrics?
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Cushing Syndrome Effects:
- Impaired linear growth despite weight gain.
- Central obesity, round facies, thin skin, easy bruising.
- Suppressed GH secretion secondary to hypercortisolism.
How does poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes mellitus affect growth?
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Impact of Poorly Controlled Type 1 DM:
- Growth deceleration due to catabolic state.
- Pubertal delay if longstanding poor glycemic control.
- Importance of maintaining good glycemic control to preserve growth potential.