Four-year-old Tim is extremely small for his age, and he shows signs of intellectual impairment. His hair is thinning and his skin is dry. His parents have read about cretinism and pituitary dwarfism as possible diagnoses for their son and have taken him to the pediatrician for tests to be run. Which diagnosis do you think is correct? Explain why
What will be an ideal response?
The likely diagnosis is cretinism. Hyposecretion of the thyroid hormone in early childhood leads to cretinism. Cretinism results in dwarfism and intellectual impairment. Cretinism also causes the hair to be scanty and the skin to be dry. It is unlikely Tim suffers from pituitary dwarfism. Pituitary dwarfism results from hyposecretion of growth hormone in children but does not cause the other symptoms listed.
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