Question

A doctor is trying to diagnose a patient with short stature. She plots the girl’s growth in red on the growth chart below to compare it to the typical growth rates, which are shown in black.
Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

gigantism
an underactive pituitary gland
an overactive pituitary gland
insomnia

Answer 1

The answer is the second one: an underactive pituitary gland

Answer 2

The right answer is an underactive pituitary gland

The stunting of children or adolescents is sometimes due to a deficiency of the growth hormone naturally produced by the body. It is then sufficient to give them this substance, in synthetic form, so that they start to "grow" again.

During their visit to the pediatrician who regularly measures them, some children are smaller than the growth standards established for their age and gender. They suffer from growth retar-dation that can come from a deficit, total or partial, of somatotropin, called growth hormone. This biological substance is well named. Naturally secreted by the pituitary (a gland located in the brain), it is indeed essential for children and adolescents to grow well. But his role is not limited to that. It also allows their bones to acquire optimal density and participate in the development of their muscles. Those who are deprived of it remain small.