Skeletal maturation in children with Cushing syndrome is not consistently delayed: the role of corticotropin, obesity, and steroid hormones, and the effect of surgical cure.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess skeletal maturity by measuring bone age (BA) in children with Cushing syndrome (CS) before and 1-year after transsphenoidal surgery or adrenalectomy, and to correlate BA with hormone levels and other measurements.

STUDY DESIGN:

This case series conducted at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center included 93 children with Cushing disease (CD) (43 females; mean age, 12.3 ± 2.9 years) and 31 children with adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent CS (AICS) (22 females, mean age 10.3 ± 4.5 years). BA was obtained before surgery and at follow-up. Outcome measures were comparison of BA in CD vs AICS and analysis of the effects of hypercortisolism, insulin excess, body mass index, and androgen excess on BA.

RESULTS:

Twenty-six of the 124 children (21.0%) had advanced BA, compared with the expected general population prevalence of 2.5% (P < .0001). Only 4 of 124 (3.2%) had delayed BA. The majority of children (76%) had normal BA. The average BA z-score was similar in the children with CD and those with AICS (0.6 ± 1.4 vs 0.5 ± 1.8; P = .8865). Body mass index SDS and normalized values of dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androsteonedione, estradiol, and testosterone were all significantly higher in the children with advanced BA vs those with normal or delayed BA. Fifty-nine children who remained in remission from CD had follow-up BA 1.2 ± 0.3 years after transsphenoidal surgery, demonstrating decreased BA z-score (1.0 ± 1.6 vs 0.3 ± 1.4; P < .0001).

CONCLUSION:

Contrary to common belief, endogenous CS in children appears to be associated with normal or even advanced skeletal maturation. When present, BA advancement in CS is related to obesity, insulin resistance, and elevated adrenal androgen levels and aromatization. This finding may have significant implications for treatment decisions and final height predictions in these children.

• Authors: Maya B Lodish, Evgenia Gourgari, Ninet Sinaii, Suvimol Hill, Laura Libuit, Spyridon Mastroyannis, Margaret Keil, Dalia L Batista, Constantine A Stratakis
• Journal: The Journal of pediatrics (J Pediatr) Vol. 164 Issue 4 Pg. 801-6 (Apr 2014) ISSN: 1097-6833 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24412141 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural)
• Copyright: Published by Mosby, Inc.

Chemical References

• Gonadal Steroid Hormones
• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Topics

• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (physiology)
• Age Determination by Skeleton
• Bone Development
• Child
• Cushing Syndrome (complications, physiopathology, surgery)
• Female
• Gonadal Steroid Hormones (physiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Obesity (complications, physiopathology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Time Factors