Surgically treatable growth retardation due to non-neoplastic pituitary-hypothalamic dysfunction.

Out of 90 children, examined because of growth failure, 15 have been treated surgically. The diagnoses were intrasellar arachnoid diverticulum or empty sella (5 cases), enlarged chiasmatic cisterns (5 cases), chronic 'occult' hydrocephalus (5 cases). Surgery was followed by an immediate increase in growth rate in almost all the cases, even if the result was persistent only in some subjects. In percentage, better results were obtained in patients with enlarged chiasmatic cisterns and chronic occult hydrocephalus than in patients with arachnoid diverticulum or empty sella. The evaluation of prolactin serum levels was demonstrated to be useful both in preoperative diagnosis and postoperative control.