Pituitary dwarfism 1
Overview
Dwarfism (pronounced dwo[ʀ]fiz'm IPA: /ˈdwɔːˌfɪzɪm/) is a medical term describing a person of short stature, with the most widely accepted definition of a dwarf being a person with an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches (147cm). Dwarfism can be caused by over 200 separate medical conditions, and as such the symptoms of individual dwarfs can vary greatly. People who are affected by dwarfism are often referred to as "little people."
Symptoms
Hypoglycemia Isomatotropin deficiency Short stature
Causes
The most common cause of dwarfism is achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder responsible for 70% of dwarfism cases.In cases of achondroplasia the limbs are disproportionally short compared to the trunk, with the head being larger than normal and frontal bossing being apparent on the face. Conditions in humans characterized by disproportional body parts are typically caused by one or more genetic disorders in bone or cartilage development. Forms of extreme shortness in humans characterized by proportional body parts usually have a hormonal or nutritional cause such as growth hormone deficiency, once known as "pituitary dwarfism".
Diagnosis
Being really short for one's age is usually what brings a child to medical attention. Skeletal dysplasia ("dwarfism") is usually suspected because of obvious physical features (e.g., unusual configuration of face or shape of skull), because of an obviously affected parent, or because body measurements (arm span, upper to lower segment ratio) indicate disproportion. Bone x-rays are often the key to diagnosis of a specific skeletal dysplasia, but they are not the key diagnosis. Most children with suspected skeletal dysplasias will be referred to a genetics clinic for diagnostic confirmation and genetic counseling. In the last decade, genetic tests for some of the specific disorders have become available. During the initial medical evaluation for shortness, the absence of disproportion and the other clues above usually indicates other causes than bone dysplasias. Extreme shortness with completely normal proportions sometimes indicates growth hormone deficiency (pituitary dwarfism). Short stature alone, in the absence of any other abnormalities, may be the result of the distribution of offspring height from short-statured parents, rather than a symptom of any medical condition
Treatment
There is no universal treatment for dwarfism. Individual abnormalities such as bone growth disorders can sometimes be treated through surgery, and some hormone disorders can be treated through medication, but in most cases it is impossible to treat all of the symptoms of dwarfism. Most of the time lifestyle remedies are needed in order to cope with the effects of dwarfism. In-home devices like specialized furniture is often needed to help people who have dwarfism function normally. Many support groups also exist in order to help sufferers of dwarfism cope with the challenges they face and to help them function independently.