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Congenital hypopituitarism


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Other Names:
Congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency; Non-acquired combined pituitary hormone deficiency

Summary Summary


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The following summary is from Orphanet, a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.
orphanet

Orpha Number: 467

Definition
Congenital hypopituitarism is characterized by multiple pituitary hormone deficiency, including somatotroph, thyrotroph, lactotroph, corticotroph or gonadotroph deficiencies, due to mutations of pituitary transcription factors involved in pituitary ontogenesis.

Epidemiology
Congenital hypopituitarism is rare compared with the high incidence of hypopituitarism induced by pituitary adenomas, transsphenoidal surgery or radiotherapy. The incidence of congenital hypopituitarism is estimated to be between 1:3000 and 1:4000 births.

Clinical description
Clinical presentation is variable, depending on the type and severity of deficiencies and on the age at diagnosis. If untreated, main symptoms include short stature, cognitive alterations or delayed puberty.

Etiology
Congenital hypopituitarism is due to mutations of several genes encoding pituitary transcription factors. Phenotype varies with the factor involved: PROP1 (somatolactotroph, thyrotroph, gonadotroph and sometimes corticotroph deficiencies; pituitary hyper and hypoplasia), POU1F1 (somatolactotroph and thyrotroph deficiencies, pituitary hypoplasia), HESX1 (variable pituitary deficiencies, septo-optic dysplasia), and less frequently LHX3 (somatolactotroph, thyrotroph and gonadotroph deficiencies, limited head and neck rotation) and LHX4 (variable pituitary deficiencies, ectopic neurohypophysis, cerebral abnormalities).

Diagnostic methods
A diagnosis of combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) must be suspected when evident causes of hypopituitarism (sellar tumor, postsurgical or radioinduced hypopituitarism. . .) have been ruled out. Clinical, biological and radiological work-up is very important to better determine which transcription factor should be screened. Confirmation is provided by direct sequencing of the transcription factor genes.

Genetic counseling
Type of transmission varies with the factor and the mutation involved (recessive transmission for PROP1 and LHX3, dominant for LHX4, autosomal or recessive for POU1F1 and HESX1).

Management and treatment
An appropriate replacement of hormone deficiencies is required. Strict follow-up is necessary because patients develop new deficiencies (for example late onset corticotroph deficiency in patients with PROP1 mutations).

Prognosis
Prognosis is equivalent to patients without pituitary deficiencies if treatment is started immediately when diagnosis is confirmed, and if a specialized follow-up is performed.

Visit the Orphanet disease page for more resources.
Last updated: 3/1/2008

Find a Specialist Find a Specialist


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If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

  • The Pituitary Network Association provides a list of pituitary specialists.
Do you have updated information on this disease? We want to hear from you.

Learn More Learn More


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These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

News & Events News & Events


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News

  • Rare Disease Day at NIH 2021
    March 1, 2021

GARD Answers GARD Answers


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Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

Have a question? Contact a GARD Information Specialist.
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