Definition:
Laron-type dwarfism also known as Laron syndrome, is a autosomal recessive disorder; where the body has adequate amounts of growth hormones but is deficient with receptors needed to develop the growth hormones resulting to excessively short stature or dwarfism.
Laron-type dwarfism is named after the Israeli researcher Zvi Laron, who reported the medical condition in 1966 after a longstanding observation that started in 1958.
Treatment:
Primarily treatment of Laron-type dwarfism is by means of biosynthetic IGF-1. This means that Growth Hormone administration has no impact on IGF-1 production.
Symptoms and Signs:
The fundamental indication of Laron-type dwarfism is excessively short-stature. However, there are also other symptoms that are associated with this disorder. The following are some of the features of this syndrome:
* Prominent forehead
* Depressed nasal bridge (saddle nose)
* Obesity features in the trunk
* Under-developed jaw
* Remarkable small penis (micropenis)
* Seizure caused by hypoglycemia ( excessively low blood sugar level)
* Small feet
* Small hands
* Reduced or superior intelligence
* High-pitched voice
* Delayed bone age
* Tooth eruption is overdue
Causes:
Laron-type dwarfism is caused by deficiency in the growth hormone receptors that is necessary to facilitate normal growth development.