1,721,046 research outputs found

    Update on bone density measurements and their interpretation in children and adolescents

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    Following the increased awareness about the central role of the pediatric age in building bone for life, clinicians face more than ever the necessity of assessing bone health in pediatric subjects at risk for early bone mass derangements or in healthy children, in order to optimize their bone mass accrual and prevent osteoporosis. Although the diagnosis of osteoporosis is not made solely upon bone mineral density measurements during growth, such determination can be very useful in the follow-up of pediatric patients with primary and secondary osteoporosis. The ideal instrument would give information on the mineral content and density of the bone, and on its architecture. It should be able to perform the measurements on the skeletal sites where fractures are more frequent, and it should be minimally invasive, accurate, precise and rapid. Unfortunately, none of the techniques currently utilized fulfills all requirements. In the present review, we focus on the pediatric use of dual–energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative computed tomography (QCT), peripheral QCT (pQCT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), highlighting advantages and limits for their use and providing indications for bone densitometry interpretation and of vertebral fractures diagnosis in pediatric subjects

    Approach to the Pediatric Patient: Central Diabetes Insipidus

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    : Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a complex disorder in which large volumes of dilute urine are excreted due to arginine-vasopressin deficiency, and it is caused by a variety of disorders affecting the hypothalamic-posterior pituitary network. The differential diagnosis is challenging and requires a detailed medical history, physical examination, biochemical approach, imaging studies, and, in some cases, histological confirmation. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard method for evaluating congenital or acquired cerebral and pituitary stalk lesions. Pituitary stalk size at presentation could be normal, but it may change over time, depending on the underlying condition, while other brain areas or organs may become involved during follow-up. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to avoid central nervous system damage and germ cell tumor dissemination and to minimize complications of multiple pituitary hormone defects. We provide a practical update on the diagnosis and management of patients with CDI and highlight several pitfalls that may complicate the differential diagnosis of conditions presenting with polyuria and polydipsia. The need for a careful and close follow-up of patients with apparently idiopathic CDI is particularly emphasized because the underlying condition may be recognized over time. The clinical scenario that we outline at the beginning of this article represents the basis for the discussion about how the etiological diagnosis of CDI can be overlooked and demonstrates how a water intake and urine output improvement can be a sign of progressive damage of both hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland with associated pituitary hormonal deficiencies.Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a complex disorder in which large volumes of dilute urine are excreted due to arginine-vasopressin deficiency, and it is caused by a variety of disorders affecting the hypothalamic-posterior pituitary network. The differential diagnosis is challenging and requires a detailed medical history, physical examination, biochemical approach, imaging studies, and, in some cases, histological confirmation. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard method for evaluating congenital or acquired cerebral and pituitary stalk lesions. Pituitary stalk size at presentation could be normal, but it may change over time, depending on the underlying condition, while other brain areas or organs may become involved during follow-up. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to avoid central nervous system damage and germ cell tumor dissemination and to minimize complications of multiple pituitary hormone defects. We provide a practical update on the diagnosis and management of patients with CDI and highlight several pitfalls that may complicate the differential diagnosis of conditions presenting with polyuria and polydipsia. The need for a careful and close follow-up of patients with apparently idiopathic CDI is particularly emphasized because the underlying condition may be recognized over time. The clinical scenario that we outline at the beginning of this article represents the basis for the discussion about how the etiological diagnosis of CDI can be overlooked and demonstrates how a water intake and urine output improvement can be a sign of progressive damage of both hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland with associated pituitary hormonal deficiencies
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