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Case Reports
. 2011 Mar 25:2011:bcr0120102640.
doi: 10.1136/bcr.01.2010.2640.

Growth monitoring still has a place in selected populations of children

M Hussain  1 , C M John, K Mohamed, M Zbaeda, S M Ng, S Chanderasekaran, M Didi, J C Blair
Affiliations
Case Reports

Growth monitoring still has a place in selected populations of children

M Hussain et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

In 1998, a multiprofessional group developed a consensus on growth monitoring in the UK. While routine serial measurements were not recommended in healthy children, it is clear that there is a subset of children at increased risk of growth-modifying disease who may benefit from growth monitoring. This subset includes children with genetic disorders at increased risk of thyroid dysfunction. Symptoms and signs of thyroid dysfunction are non-specific in the early stages of disease and are easily mistaken for features of an underlying genetic disorder. In this article, we report the case of a 2.8-year-old girl with 18q deletion syndrome who was profoundly weak, hypotonic and poorly responsive at diagnosis of Grave's disease. She was tall and her bone age was 2 years advanced, indicating long-standing disease. Growth monitoring of this patient should have enabled earlier diagnosis and avoided a serious and potentially fatal episode.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Appearance of a 2-year-old girl with 18q deletion syndrome at presentation of thyrotoxicosis illustrating hypotonic posture.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Growth trajectory and target height of a 2-year-old girl with 18q deletion syndrome at diagnosis and during treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Hale DE, Cody JD, Baillargeon J, et al. The spectrum of growth abnormalities in children with 18q deletions. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000;85:4450–4 - PubMed

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