Comorbidity and cardiovascular risk factors in adult GH deficiency following treatment for Cushing's disease or non-functioning pituitary adenomas during childhood

ObjectiveCushing's disease (CD) and non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) are rare in paediatric patients. The aim of this study was to describe long-term consequences in adults with GH deficiency (GHD) treated for CD or NFPA during childhood.Design, patients and methodsThis was a retrospective analysis of data from KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database). Background characteristics, anthropometry and comorbidity were studied in 47 patients diagnosed with childhood-onset (CO)-CD and 62 patients with CO-NFPA. Data from 100 ACTH-sufficient patients with CO-idiopathic hypopituitarism (CO-Idio) were used for comparison. Cardiovascular risk profile was analysed at baseline and at 1 year on GH treatment in a subgroup of patients (17 CO-CD, 24 CO-NFPA and 55 CO-Idio) not receiving GH treatment at study entry.ResultsThe median age at diagnosis of pituitary tumour was 14.0 years (range 10–17) in patients with CO-CD and 13.7 years (range 8–17) in CO-NFPA. In addition to GHD, 41% of patients with CO-CD had three or four other pituitary hormone deficiencies compared with 78% of patients with CO-NFPA (PP=0.002). Hypertension was more common in CO-CD compared with CO-Idio (23 vs 9%,P=0.018). At 1 year on GH treatment, total- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol decreased significantly in CO-CD but not in CO-NFPA.ConclusionAdult patients with GHD following treatment for paediatric CD and NFPA have long-term adverse consequences. Despite more severe hypopituitarism in CO-NFPA, patients with CO-CD have more frequently compromised final stature.