Dwarfism: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

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Dwarfism: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 2-year-old male is brought to your clinic. His parents are concerned he is not growing enough. His mother is 5 feet 2 inches, and his father is 5 feet 4 inches. On physical exam, you note shorted upper and lower extremities. His skeleton appears normal, and he is at the 4th percentile for height. He meets his developmental milestones in areas of cognition, communication/speech, gross and fine motor skills, etc. Labs are unimpressive. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Hypothyroidism
B. Growth hormone deficiency
C. Familial short stature
D. Turner syndrome
E. Iron deficiency

Answer and topic summary

The answer is C. Familial short stature

Dwarfism in children is defined by a height of > 2 SDs below the mean for children of the same age and sex. In adults, it is defined as a height less than 4 ft 10 inches in females and a height less than 5 feet 1 inches in men. Etiologies may be genetic (growth delay, a genetic syndrome), systemic causes (hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiencies, steroid excess), or psychosocial causes (maternal substance abuse, psychosocial short stature). Treatment/management depends on the underlying cause.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Endocrinology ⇒ Pituitary Disorders ⇒ Pituitary dwarfism (GH deficiency)

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