Radiomorphometric examination of the sceleton in differential diagnostics of the endocrine dwarfism in children

To determine the thickness of the cortical bone means to get a criterion for differential diagnostics of endocrine dwarfism in children. The somatotrophic hormone (STH) has besides other factors a deciding influence on the thickness of the compact substance. After the 4th year of life a positive exclusion of a deficiency in STH becomes possible by measurements of the thickness of the cortical substance. By the therapy of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal dwarfism used at present a making up growth in respect to the thickness of the cortical substance was not demonstrable. A deficiency in STH may be suspected in children suffering from a constitutional retardation in growth, but there was no positive delimitation to the group of hypothalamic-hypophyseal dwarfism. Generally all other relevant clinical pictures, also going along with a thinning of the cortical substance, may be discriminated from a deficiency in STH by the -2s limit. (author)