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Empty sella, growth hormone deficiency and pseudotumour cerebri: effect of initiation, withdrawal and resumption of growth hormone therapy

Abstract

An 11- year-old boy with normal visus and eye fundus, but with empty sella, growth hormone (GH) deficiency and central diabetes insipidus was found to have intracranial hypertension with papilloedema after 6 months of catch-up growth under recombinant human GH (rhGH) replacement therapy. Withdrawal of rhGH therapy was associated with normalisation of intra‐cranial␣pressure within 1 week. Three months later, resumption of rhGH therapy at a lower dose was again followed by pronounced growth acceleration, but now without papilloedema.

Conclusion Children with empty sella and GH deficiency may be prone to rhGH-induced pseudotumour cerebri which appears to be rapidly reversible and dose-dependent.

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Received: 4 August 1995 / 26 October 1995

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Francois, I., Casteels, I., Silberstein, J. et al. Empty sella, growth hormone deficiency and pseudotumour cerebri: effect of initiation, withdrawal and resumption of growth hormone therapy. Eur J Pediatr 156, 69–70 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004310050556

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004310050556

  • Key words Empty sella
  • Diabetes insipidus
  • Growth hormone
  • Pseudotumour cerebri