Growth impairment in children with atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis and pituitary hyperplasia.
Adenohypophysis hyperplasia
Autoimmune thyroiditis
Children
Growth arrest
Hypothyroidism
Journal
Italian journal of pediatrics
ISSN: 1824-7288
Titre abrégé: Ital J Pediatr
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101510759
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
23 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024
Historique:
received:
17
07
2023
accepted:
04
04
2024
medline:
23
4
2024
pubmed:
23
4
2024
entrez:
22
4
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis (AAT) is a rare phenotype of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) in pediatric age. AAT occurs without thyroid enlargement leading to a delay in its diagnosis. Growth impairment is infrequent in autoimmune thyroiditis, if timely diagnosed. Prolonged severe hypothyroidism is a rare cause of pituitary hyperplasia (PH) in childhood. Loss of thyroxine negative feedback causes a TRH-dependent hyperplasia of pituitary thyrotroph cells resulting in adenohypophysis enlargement. A transdifferentiation of pituitary somatotroph cells into thyrotroph cells could explain growth failure in those patients. Twelve patients were retrospectively evaluated at five Italian and Polish Centres of Pediatric Endocrinology for height growth impairment. In all Centres, patients underwent routine clinical, biochemical and radiological evaluations. At the time of first assessment, the 75% of patients presented height growth arrest, while the remaining ones showed growth impairment. The study of thyroid function documented a condition of hypothyroidism, due to AT, in the entire cohort, although all patients had no thyroid enlargement. Thyroid ultrasound showed frankly atrophic or normal gland without goiter. Cerebral MRI documented symmetrical enlargement of the adenohypophysis in all patients and a homogeneous enhancement of the gland after the administration of Gadolinium-DPTA. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine was started and patients underwent close follow-up every 3 months. During the 12 months of follow-up, an improvement in terms of height growth has been observed in 88% of patients who continued the follow-up. Laboratory findings showed normalization of thyroid function and the control brain MRI documented complete regression of PH to a volume within the normal range for age and sex. This is the largest pediatric cohort with severe autoimmune primary hypothyroidism without goiter, but with pituitary hyperplasia in which significant growth impairment was the most evident presenting sign. AAT phenotype might be correlated with this specific clinical presentation. In youths with growth impairment, hypothyroidism should always be excluded even in the absence of clear clinical signs of dysthyroidism.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis (AAT) is a rare phenotype of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) in pediatric age. AAT occurs without thyroid enlargement leading to a delay in its diagnosis. Growth impairment is infrequent in autoimmune thyroiditis, if timely diagnosed. Prolonged severe hypothyroidism is a rare cause of pituitary hyperplasia (PH) in childhood. Loss of thyroxine negative feedback causes a TRH-dependent hyperplasia of pituitary thyrotroph cells resulting in adenohypophysis enlargement. A transdifferentiation of pituitary somatotroph cells into thyrotroph cells could explain growth failure in those patients.
METHODS
METHODS
Twelve patients were retrospectively evaluated at five Italian and Polish Centres of Pediatric Endocrinology for height growth impairment. In all Centres, patients underwent routine clinical, biochemical and radiological evaluations.
RESULTS
RESULTS
At the time of first assessment, the 75% of patients presented height growth arrest, while the remaining ones showed growth impairment. The study of thyroid function documented a condition of hypothyroidism, due to AT, in the entire cohort, although all patients had no thyroid enlargement. Thyroid ultrasound showed frankly atrophic or normal gland without goiter. Cerebral MRI documented symmetrical enlargement of the adenohypophysis in all patients and a homogeneous enhancement of the gland after the administration of Gadolinium-DPTA. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine was started and patients underwent close follow-up every 3 months. During the 12 months of follow-up, an improvement in terms of height growth has been observed in 88% of patients who continued the follow-up. Laboratory findings showed normalization of thyroid function and the control brain MRI documented complete regression of PH to a volume within the normal range for age and sex.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
This is the largest pediatric cohort with severe autoimmune primary hypothyroidism without goiter, but with pituitary hyperplasia in which significant growth impairment was the most evident presenting sign. AAT phenotype might be correlated with this specific clinical presentation. In youths with growth impairment, hypothyroidism should always be excluded even in the absence of clear clinical signs of dysthyroidism.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38650008
doi: 10.1186/s13052-024-01641-w
pii: 10.1186/s13052-024-01641-w
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
83Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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