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Title: Endocrine morbidity in adults treated with cerebral irradiation for brain tumours during childhood. Author: Shalet SM, Beardwell CG, MacFarlane IA, Jones PH, Pearson D. Journal: Acta Endocrinol (Copenh); 1977 Apr; 84(4):673-80. PubMed ID: 403723. Abstract: Hypothalamic-pituitary function was assessed in 20 adult subjects who were treated with cerebral irradiation for brain tumours during childhood between 8 and 32 years earlier. Nine patients showed impaired growth hormone (GH) responses to hypoglycaemia, of whom, 7 are below the third centile for standing height. All GH deficient subjects received more than 2950 rads to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis with a maximum dose of approximately 5000 rads being used in one case. Three subjects have an elevated basal serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level and 2 of these show an exaggerated TSH response to thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) but no patient was clinically or biochemically hypothyroid. The rest of hypothalamic-pituitary function was essentially normal. This study shows that multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies do no develop with time when the radiation dose is below a critical level. Thus it appears that there is a gradation of radiation damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis which is dependent primarily on the dose received rather than the time interval after radiotherapy.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]