Psychosocial Dwarfism Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Andrew P Sirotnak, MD; Chief Editor: Caroly Pataki, MD   more...
 
Updated: Apr 10, 2012
 
 

Differential Diagnoses

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Andrew P Sirotnak, MD  Department Head, Child Abuse and Neglect, Director, Kempe Child Protection Team

Andrew P Sirotnak, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Chet Johnson, MD  Professor and Chair of Pediatrics, Associate Director, Developmental Pediatrician, Center for Child Health and Development, Shiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas School of Medicine; LEND Director, University of Kansas Medical Center

Chet Johnson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mary L Windle, PharmD  Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Carrie Sylvester, MD, MPH  Senior Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Sound Mental Health

Carrie Sylvester, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Caroly Pataki, MD  Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Division Chair, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California

Caroly Pataki, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York Academy of Sciences, and Physicians for Social Responsibility

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

  1. Deltondo J, Por I, Hu W, et al. Associations between the human growth hormone-releasing hormone- and neuropeptide-Y-immunoreactive systems in the human diencephalon: a possible morphological substrate of the impact of stress on growth. Neuroscience. Jun 2 2008;153(4):1146-52. [Medline].

  2. Rotoli G, Grignol G, Hu W, Merchenthaler I, Dudas B. Catecholaminergic axonal varicosities appear to innervate growth hormone-releasing hormone-immunoreactive neurons in the human hypothalamus: the possible morphological substrate of the stress-suppressed growth. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Oct 2011;96(10):E1606-11. [Medline].

  3. Money J. The syndrome of abuse dwarfism (psychosocial dwarfism or reversible hyposomatotropism). Am J Dis Child. May 1977;131(5):508-13. [Medline].

  4. Tarren-Sweeney M. Patterns of aberrant eating among pre-adolescent children in foster care. J Abnorm Child Psychol. Oct 2006;34(5):623-34. [Medline].

  5. Duche DJ. [Consequences of family violence on children's health]. Bull Acad Natl Med. 2002;186(6):963-9; discussion 969-70. [Medline].

  6. Albanese A, Hamill G, Jones J, et al. Reversibility of physiological growth hormone secretion in children with psychosocial dwarfism. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). May 1994;40(5):687-92. [Medline].

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  8. Sandberg DE, Colsman M. Assessment of Psychosocial aspects of short stature. Growth, Genetics and Hormones [serial online]. June 2005;21(2):Accessed October 10, 2007. Available at http://www.gghjournal.com/volume21/2/featureArticle.cfm.

  9. Gloebl HJ, Capitanio MA, Kirkpatrick JA. Radiographic findings in children with psychosocial dwarfism. Pediatr Radiol. Feb 13 1976;4(2):83-6. [Medline].

  10. Blizzard RM, Bulatovic A. Syndromes of psychosocial short stature. In: Pediatric Endocrinology. 1996:83-93.

  11. Fazil Q. Dwarfism: Medical and psychosocial aspects of profound short stature. Psychiatr Bulletin [serial online]. 2006;30:Accessed October 10, 2007. Available at http://pb.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/long/30/11/439.

  12. Green WH, Campbell M, David R. Psychosocial dwarfism: a critical review of the evidence. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. Jan 1984;23(1):39-48. [Medline].

  13. Inokuchi M, Hasegawa T. [Deprivation dwarfism]. Nippon Rinsho. May 28 2006;Suppl 1:102-4. [Medline].

  14. Lifshitz F, Tarim O, Smith MM. Nutritional growth retardation. In: Pediatric Endocrinology. 3rd ed. 1996:103-20.

  15. Northam EA. Neuropsychological and psychosocial correlates of endocrine and metabolic disorders--areview. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. Jan 2004;17(1):5-15. [Medline].

  16. Patton RG, Gardner LI. Short stature associated with maternal deprivation syndrome: disordered family environment as cause of so-called idiopathic hypopituitarism. In: Endocrine and Genetic Diseases of Childhood and Adolescence. 2nd ed. 1975:77-87.

  17. Swanson H. Index of suspicion. Case 3. Diagnosis: failure to thrive due to psychosocial dwarfism. Pediatr Rev. Jan 1994;15(1):39, 41. [Medline].

 
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Growth curves of 5 children with psychosocial short stature are depicted. In each instance, the increase in the slope of the curve occurred simultaneously with removal from the adverse home environment. The asterisk (*) notes the time of this removal.
 
 
 
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