Causes and Treatment of Dwarfism

Question

An 18-year-old adolescent whose height is less than one meter was diagnosed with dwarfism after a detailed examination by the hospital. What causes dwarfism and how should it be treated?

Answer

Dwarfism is divided into two types: congenital dwarfism and acquired dwarfism. The cause of congenital dwarfism is often congenital developmental abnormalities or genetic diseases, which may be due to autosomal recessive inheritance. Acquired dwarfism can be secondary to hypothalamic-pituitary disorders. For patients diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), the treatment plan will be determined based on the need, including head CT or MRI scans to understand if there are any organic changes in the hypothalamus-pituitary region, particularly important for diagnosing tumors. Dwarfism is largely hereditary, but due to the relatively low possibility of being caused by acquired factors, there is still a possibility of inheritance through generations.