72 HIGH INCIDENCE OF PRIMARY EMPTY SELLA SYNDROME (PESS) IN CHILDREN WITH GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY (GHD)

Computer-assisted tomography (CT) with 2mm axial sections and reconstructions was carried out in 31 children with GHD. Group 1 included 18 pts (11m, 7f, age 2-12yrs, height -3.3 ± 0.8 SD) with idiopathic complete isolated GHD (peak GH on provocative stimuli below 4 ng/ml, otherwise normal pituitary function), group 2 3 pts (2m, 1f, age 6-14yrs, height -1.8 to 2.2 SD) with idiopathic partial isolated GHD (peak GH above 4 and below 7 ng/ml), group 3 2 girls (age 2 and 17 yrs, height -2.0 and -3.1 SD) with idiopathic panhypopituitarism, and group 4 8 pts (6m, 2f, age 7-12yrs, height -2.6 ± 0.9 SD) with acquired hypopituitarism: 4 with isolated hypopituitarism (3 post-radiation, 1 craniopharyngioma), 4 with panhypopituitarism (2 craniopharyngioma, 1 glioma, 1 histiocytosis X). Density in the intrasellar area on CT corresponded to that of cerebrospinal fluid in 12 of 18 pts (group 1), 0/3 (group 2), 1/2 (group 3), and 2/8 (group 4, both postradiation). The overall incidence of PESS in the GHD pts studied was thus over 48%, while in children without endocrine dysfunction, it was only 5/213. It is concluded that PESS is more frequent than was assumed until now and that is most frequently associated with GHD.