Near Adult Heights and Predictions of Prospective Adult Heights using Automated and Conventional Greulich-Pyle Bone Age Determinations in children with chronic endocrine diseases

Calculation of prospective adult heights (PAH) is associated with considerable bone age interrater variability. Therefore, the new PAH method based on automated bone age (BA) determination (BoneXpert™) was compared to the conventional PAH method by Bayley- Pinneau (BP) based on BA determination according to Greulich and Pyle (GP) and to observed near adult heights. Heights and near adult heights were measured in 82 patients (48 females) with chronic endocrinopathies at age of 10.45 ± 2.12 years and at time of transition to adult care (17.98 ± 3.02 years). Further, BA were assessed according to conventional GP - by three experts- and by BoneXpert™. PAH were calculated using conventional BP tables and BoneXpert™. The conventional and the automated BA determinations revealed a mean difference of 0.25 ± 0.72 years (p = 0.0027). The automated PAH by BoneXpert™ were 156.96 ± 0.86 cm in females and 171.75 ± 1.6 cm in males compared to 153.95 ± 1.12 cm in females and 169.31 ± 1.6 cm in males by conventional BP, respectively, and in comparison to near adult heights 156.38 ± 5.84 cm in females and 168.94 ± 8.18 cm in males, respectively. Conclusion: BA ratings and adult height predictions by BoneXpert™ in children with chronic endocrinopathies abolish rater dependent variability and enhance reproducibility of estimates thereby refining care in growth disorders. Conventional methods may outperform automated analyses in specific cases.

Comparative study between bone ages: Carpal, Metacarpophalangic, Carpometacarpophalangic Ebrí, Greulich and Pyle and Tanner Whitehouse2

We have carried out a review study in order to remind the pediatrician of the differences in bone age (EO) between the existing Greulich-Pyle (GP) or Tanner-Whitehouse 2 (TW2) methods compared to Ebrí ages: EO Ebrí-carpal (EOIC) metacarpophalangic (EOIMF) and Carpometacarpophalangic (EOICMF). The study was carried out in Spanish longitudinal casuistry “Andrea Prader”. It comprises 160 healthy children: 73 males and 87 females, distributed by sex and age from 0.5 to 20 years. By obtaining the EO for each method, a comprehensive study can be carried out between them, and thus, observing if there are differences, being able to offer a quantification to the pediatrician for him to take them into account. In previous studies, the equations for obtaining the EO were expressed by the Ebrí methods. These quantifications are presented throughout this review.

SKELETAL MATURATION IN THE CURRENT PEDIATRIC MEXICAN POPULATION

Objective: The most commonly used methods for bone age (BA) reading were described in the Caucasian population decades ago. However, there are secular trends in skeletal maturation and different BA patterns between ethnic groups. Automated BA reading makes updating references easier and more precise than human reading. The objective of the present study was to present automated BA reference curves according to chronological age and gender in the Mexican population and compare the maturation tempo with that of other populations. Methods: The study included 923 healthy participants aged 5 to 18 years between 2017 and 2018. A hand radio-graph was analyzed using BoneXpert software to obtain the automated BA reading according to Greulich and Pyle (G&P) and Tanner-Whitehouse 2 (TW2) references. We constructed reference curves using the average difference between the BA and chronological age according to sex and age. Results: The G&P and TW2 automated reference curves showed that Mexican boys exhibit delays in BA during middle childhood by 0.5 to 0.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.9 to −0.2) years; however, they demonstrate an advanced BA of up to 1.1 (95% CI, 0.8 to 1.4) years at the end of puberty. Mexican girls exhibited a delay in BA by 0.3 to 0.6 (95% CI, −0.9 to −0.1) years before puberty and an advanced BA of up to 0.9 (95% CI, 0.7 to 1.2) years at the end of puberty. Conclusion: Mexican children aged <10 years exhibited a delay in skeletal maturity, followed by an advanced BA by approximately 1 year at the end of puberty. This may affect the estimation of growth potential in this population. Abbreviations: BA = bone age; CA = chronological age; G&P = Greulich and Pyle; TW2 = Tanner-Whitehouse 2

DIFFERENCES IN BONE AGE READINGS BETWEEN PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGISTS AND RADIOLOGISTS

Objective: Pediatric endocrinologists (PEs) have historically read their own bone age (BA) X-rays based on the belief that radiologists do not accurately interpret these tests. Whether there are significant differences in BA interpretations between these two groups has not been systematically explored. The objectives of the study were to compare BA readings performed by PEs and radiologists and determine whether clinical variables were associated with discrepancies in readings. Methods: A retrospective chart review of children presenting for initial evaluation of short stature (SS) or precocious puberty (PP) who had a BA X-ray completed was performed. Clinical variables analyzed included age, gender, ethnicity, Tanner stage, body mass index, reason for referral, radiologist location (Children's vs. outside hospital), and PE and radiologist BA readings using the Greulich and Pyle method. Results: Of 103 patients aged 9 ± 3.66 years, there was a discrepancy between the PE and radiologist readings on 70 images (68%). Discrepancy ranged from −1.5 to 3.5 years, with a mean of 4 ± 12 months. Patients referred for PP were more likely to have discrepant interpretations than those referred for SS (8.4 months vs. 0.8 months; P = .007). No differences were seen in interpretations between in-house radiologists and those at outside hospitals. Conclusion: Radiologists interpreted BAs differently than PEs in the majority of images. In patients referred for PP, BAs were interpreted as being older by radiologists than by PEs, perhaps due to bias from the reason for referral. Our results provide support for continued independent BA interpretations by PEs. Abbreviations: BA = bone age; GP = Greulich and Pyle; PE = pediatric endocrinologist; PP = precocious puberty; SS = short stature