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Growth hormone secretion in empty sella syndrome

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Abstract

GH secretion was studied in 47 patients with empty sella syndrome (ESS), using the GH response to the L-dopa test and determinations of the somatomedin levels. A high frequency of low responders (56%) was found, which is in accordance with previous reports on ESS. However, a true GH deficiency as judged by low levels of somatomedin A, was suspected in only 2 out of 41 patients with otherwise normal pituitary function and in 5 out of 6 patients with other pituitary insufficiences. The impaired GH responsiveness in the remaining patients seemed to be attributed to their overweight and/or postmenopausal age (estrogen deficiency) and not to a true GH deficiency, which was excluded by normal levels of somatomedin.

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  1. Department of Endocrinology, Karolinska Hospital, S-104 01, Stockholm 60, Sweden

    K. Brismar

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  1. K. Brismar
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Brismar, K. Growth hormone secretion in empty sella syndrome. J Endocrinol Invest 5, 417–422 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350543

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