Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 EP739 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.41.EP739

ECE2016 Eposter Presentations Neuroendocrinology (43 abstracts)

Nuchal Skinfold Thickness: a novel parameter for assessment of body composition in childhood craniopharyngioma

Anthe S. Sterkenburg 1, , Anika Hoffmann 1 , Julia Reichel 1 , Kristin Lohle 1 , Maria Eveslage 3 , Monika Warmuth-Metz 4 & Hermann L. Müller 1


1Department of Pediatrics, Klinikum Oldenburg, Medical Campus University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany; 2UMCG Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; 3Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; 4Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.


Context: Hypothalamic obesity, subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and relapses/progression have major impact on prognosis in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CP). We analyzed nuchal skinfold thickness (NST) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed for follow-up monitoring as a novel parameter for body composition (BC) and CVD in CP.

Objective: Identify association of NST with body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), caliper-assessed skinfold thickness, and blood pressure (BP) in CP and controls.

Patients and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 94 CP recruited in HIT-Endo, KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2000/2007 and 75 controls were analyzed for associations of NST with BC and BP.

Results: NST correlated with BMI SDS (r=0.78; P<0.001; n=169) and WHtR (r=0.85; P<0.001; n=86) in total cohort and CP patients (NST–BMI SDS: r=0.77, P<0.001, n=94); NST–WHtR: r=0.835, P<0.001, n=43) and controls (NST–BMI SDS: r=0.792, P<0.001, n=75; NST–WHtR: r=0.671, P<0.001, n=43). Comparing NST with caliper-measured skinfolds, subscapular, and abdominal skinfold thickness revealed highest correlation (P<0.001) with NST in both CP (r=0.802; r=0.710) and controls (r=0.724, r=0.730). In CP patients, systolic BP correlated with NST (r=0.575, P<0.001), BMI SDS (r=0.434, P=0.004), and WHtR (r=0.386, P=0.011). Similar results were observed for diastolic BP in CP. In multivariate analyses, NST had predictive value for hypertension in post-pubertal CP and controls (OR=6.98, 95%CI [1.65,29.5], P=0.008).

Conclusions: As monitoring of MRI and BC is an essential for follow-up in CP, NST could serve as a novel, clinically relevant, and easily determinable parameter for assessment of BC and CVD risk in CP patients.

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