The clinical and metabolic characteristics of children and adolescents with hypothalamic dysfunction: A single-centre study from China.

OBJECTIVE

Hypothalamic dysfunction is characterized by complex aetiologies, multiple forms of onset and various clinical symptoms. This study aims to explore the clinical and metabolic characteristics of hypothalamic dysfunction in Chinese children and adolescents.

DESIGN

This study is a single-centre, retrospective study that covers patients from 1989 to 2019.

PATIENTS: We included 40 children and adolescents with hypothalamic dysfunction from our medical centre in Beijing, China.

RESULTS

Intracranial tumour (37.5%) was the most common aetiology of children and adolescents with hypothalamic dysfunction, especially germ cell tumours, hypopituitarism (82.5%), weight gain (72.5%) and central diabetes insipidus (70.0%) were the most common symptoms in these patients. Furthermore, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher in hypothalamic dysfunction patients than sex- and age-matched controls and sex, age and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls (all p < 0.05). However, albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were lower (p< 0.05). Moreover, 95% (38/40) of the patients had metabolic diseases. In addition, the incidence of dyslipidaemia and hyperuricemia in children and adolescents with hypothalamic dysfunction was significantly higher than both sex- and age-matched controls and sex-, age- and BMI-matched controls (both p < 0.05) as well.

CONCLUSIONS

Intracranial tumour was the most common aetiology in children and adolescents with hypothalamic dysfunction. In addition, these patients presented a worse metabolic profile on average than healthy patients.