Histological and ultrastructural studies in isolated growth hormone deficiency

Abstract

The first complete postmortem examination on a patient with documented isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) is described. Previous studies on this 78-yr-old dwarf demonstrated IGHD with glucose intolerance and insulinopenia. Autopsy revealed severe generalized arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The pancreas was largely replaced by fat, resulting in a deficiency of islet tissue. The pituitary appeared grossly normal, weighed 0.453 g, and there was a normal distribution of cell types histologically. The hypothalamus appeared normal. On electron microscopic examination, typical acidophil-type secretory granules were observed in a majority of pituitary parenchymal cells. Unlike the pituitary basophils, thyrotropes or gonadotropes, which also appeared normal, release of the secretory granules by emiocytosis was not observed in somatotropes. These observations suggest that the recessive form of isolated growth hormone deficiency is associated with a defect in growth hormone secretion rather than growth hormone synthesis and that hGH deficiency does not protect against atherosclerosis. © 1973 by The Endocrine Society.