Children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) with isolated pituitary hypoplasia (IPH) had lower free thyroxine (FT4) levels than children with IGHD without pituitary abnormalities, according to a study published in Hormones. Therefore, FT4 levels may have diagnostic value for children with IGHD with IPH. Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study of 100 children with short stature accompanied by IPH. Among them, 68 children presenting with IGHD were chosen as the IPH group. Sixty-eight age-matched and sex-matched children with IGHD without pituitary abnormalities were chosen as the control group. The study group analyzed clinical, hormonal, and imaging parameters and the diagnostic value of thyroid function for children with IGDH with IPH. They found that children in the IPH group had significantly lower height standard deviation score (HSDS), HSDS-target height standard deviation score (THSDS), FT4, insulin-like growth factor-1 standard deviation score (IGF-1SDS), and pituitary height than the control subjects. The value of the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.701 (95% CI 0.614-0.788) when the cut-off value for FT4 was ≤ 16.43 pmol/L and the sensitivity and specificity were 72.1% and 61.8%, respectively. FT4 levels were positively correlated with FT3, GH peak, and IGF-1 SDS levels in all children with short stature accompanied by IPH.

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