Questioning the Value of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Evaluation of Children with Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency

Abstract

Background: Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) is a relatively common disorder. Current diagnostic protocol requires a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the hypothalamus and the hypophysis to determine the cause after establishment of the diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the yield of brain MRI in the evaluation of children with IGHD and to define clinical and laboratory parameters that justify its performance. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all children (<18 years) diagnosed with IGHD was conducted at 3 pediatric endocrinology units between 2008 and 2018. Results: The study included 192 children (107 boys) with confirmed IGHD. The mean age ± standard deviation (SD) at diagnosis was 8.2 ± 3.7 years (median 8.5 years, range 0.8–15.9). The mean height SD score (SDS) at diagnosis was –2.25 ± 0.73. The mean height deficit SDS (defined as the difference between height SDS at diagnosis and mid-parental height SDS) was –1.7 ± 0.9. Fifteen children (7.8%) had pathological MRI findings. No space-occupying lesion was detected. Children with pathological MRIs had greater height deficit SDS and lower peak growth hormone levels on provocative tests compared to children with normal MRIs: –2.3 ± 1.2 vs. –1.6 ± 0.8 ( p = 0.02) and 4.4 ± 1.9 vs. 5.7 ± 1.3 ( p = 0.01), respectively. Conclusion: Our preliminary data indicate that most brain MRIs performed for routine evaluation of children with IGHD are not essential for determining cause. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed in order to validate this proposed revision of current protocols.