부산대학교 도서관

Congenital or early onset PD is relatively rare. We present below certain characteristics of 10 cases with very early onset of growth failure and GH deficiency, proven by two provocative tests:The analysis of the present data, and those of the literature do not support the notion that breech delivery may be an epiphenomenon rather than an etiologic factor in PD. Thus, out of 22 cases (including the present ones), with such information available, only one had breech presentation. The male to female ratio(M/F} in the total group of cases was 19/19, while the M/F ratio in those with pituitary dwarfism, in general, is greater than 2 and close to the M/F ratio encountered in asphyxia neonatorum. Multiple pituitary deficiencies and micropenis predominate. Most interesting is the fact that growth failure is quite evident during the first year of life, an observation, which favors the concept that growth hormone is also needed for normal growth during the first postnatal months.