Treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor, which usually results in permanent hypopituitarism. Sometimes no cause for hypopituitarism can be identified, or- if a cause is suspected, it may be difficult to prove. Researchers are trying to learn more about the causes of growth hormone deficiency and hypopituitadsm. The child with growth hormone deficiency is often small, with an immature face and chubby body build. The rate of growth of all body parts is slow, so that the child's proportions remain normal.
Intelligence is normal.
If the child's height has been plotted on a growth chart, it will appear to be leveling off and falling away from the child's established growth curve. If growth failure has been present for a long time, the child may be much shorter than other children the same age. This is why height and weight measurements plotted on a growth chart are so important - the earlier a treatable growth problem is detected, the better the child's chance of maintaining a normal height throughout childhood and realizing his or her full growth potential. Any child who is only as tall as children two or more years younger or who falls away from a previously normal growth curve should be evaluated by a doctor. Pediatric endocrinologists are doctors who specialize in treating children with growth and hormone problems.