PITUITARY & GROWTH SPECIALIST – DHA LAHORE
Specialist evaluation of growth hormone deficiency and short stature in children and adults, with targeted treatment in DHA Lahore.
بچوں میں قد کا نہ بڑھنا یا کم نشوونما اکثر گروتھ ہارمون کی کمی یا تھائیرائیڈ کے مسئلے سے ہوتی ہے۔ ڈاکٹر رضوان نیازی خون کے ٹیسٹ اور ہڈیوں کی عمر کے ٹیسٹ سے وجہ معلوم کرتے ہیں اور علاج تجویز کرتے ہیں۔
Short stature is defined as a height more than two standard deviations below the mean for age and sex. While familial short stature and constitutional growth delay are the most common causes, a significant proportion of children with poor growth velocity have an underlying hormonal condition.
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the most important hormonal cause of short stature. The pituitary gland fails to produce sufficient GH, leading to poor height velocity, delayed bone age, and increased body fat relative to muscle mass.
Other hormonal causes include hypothyroidism, which significantly slows growth, and conditions such as Turner syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome. A full endocrine evaluation identifies the specific cause and guides treatment.
Several hormonal conditions can impair growth in children. Identifying the cause determines whether treatment will produce catch-up growth.
Insufficient pituitary GH production leads to poor height velocity and delayed bone age. GH replacement therapy produces significant catch-up growth in deficient children.
Untreated underactive thyroid is one of the most common reversible causes of poor growth in children. Thyroid replacement normalises growth velocity.
Some children grow slowly but follow a delayed pattern, reaching normal adult height later than peers. Bone age assessment and growth velocity tracking confirm this pattern.
Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and chronic systemic illness can all impair growth. These require specific evaluation and management strategies.
GH deficiency is not only a childhood condition. Adults with pituitary disorders or childhood-onset GHD may require ongoing assessment.
Adult GHD causes persistent fatigue, reduced muscle mass, increased body fat, impaired concentration, and reduced quality of life.
GH deficiency reduces bone mineral density and increases cardiovascular risk. Treatment improves these parameters in deficient adults.
An insulin tolerance test or glucagon stimulation test is used to confirm GHD in adults. These are performed under specialist supervision.
Growth assessment in children requires specialist interpretation of height velocity, bone age, and hormone test results together. Dr. Rizwan Niazi provides this integrated evaluation at his DHA Lahore clinic.
Growth rate over 6-12 months and bone age X-ray are the two most important tools for assessing whether a child’s growth is normal or requires further investigation.
Dynamic stimulation tests (insulin tolerance test or glucagon test) measure peak GH response to confirm deficiency. These are performed under specialist supervision.
Where deficiency is confirmed, daily subcutaneous growth hormone injections produce significant catch-up growth in children and improve quality of life in adults.
Early evaluation of poor growth allows treatment to begin before growth plates close, maximising the potential for catch-up growth. Dr. Rizwan Niazi brings 21+ years of endocrinology experience to every growth assessment in DHA Lahore.
The most common causes are familial short stature (parents are short) and constitutional growth delay. Hormonal causes, including growth hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism, account for a smaller but important proportion of cases. A blood panel and bone age X-ray distinguish between these.
GHD is confirmed by a GH stimulation test (insulin tolerance test or glucagon stimulation test) showing a peak GH response below the diagnostic threshold. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels support the diagnosis.
If a child’s height velocity falls below 4-5 cm per year, or if height is more than 2 SD below the mean, specialist evaluation is recommended regardless of age. Earlier investigation allows more time for treatment before growth plates close.
Yes, if treatment is started before growth plates close (usually in mid-to-late teenage years). GH therapy produces significant catch-up growth in children with confirmed deficiency. Adult height potential is greatest when treatment begins early.
Yes. Growth hormone replacement in children with confirmed deficiency is one of the most well-studied hormonal treatments. It is administered as a daily injection and monitored by an endocrinologist with regular blood tests.
Yes. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common and fully reversible hormonal causes of poor growth in children. Thyroid function tests are part of every growth evaluation, and treating hypothyroidism normalises growth velocity.
DHA LAHORE
Book a consultation with Dr. Rizwan Niazi for accurate diagnosis and a personalised treatment plan.
Suit# 154 CCA, DD, near Nadra office, Phase 4 Sector DD, DHA Phase 4, Lahore · Mon–Sat, by appointment