Affiliations: Neuropediatric Service, Department of Pediatrics,
University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela,
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Manuel Castro-Gago, Servicio de
Neuropediatría, Hospital Clínico Universitario, La Choupana s/n,
15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Tel.: +34 981 951121; Fax: +34 981 531987;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: There is evidence that children with mitochondrial diseases tend to
have short stature, but the growth of these patients has not been assessed in
detail. We calculated the standard deviation (SD) of height, weight and body
mass index (BMI) of 58 children and adolescents between the ages of 1.5 months
and 18 years with a proven diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases. Overall, 31.03%
of recorded heights, 29.31% of weights and 39.65% of BMIs were more than 2SD
below the mean. In the group of children with encephalomyopathic forms of
mitochondrial diseases, 34.09% of heights and weights, and 43.18% of BMIs were
more than 2SD below the mean, while in the group with myopathic forms 21.42% of
weights, 14.28% of heights and 28.57% of BMIs were more than 2SD below the
mean. These results suggest that mitochondrial diseases are an important cause
of short stature and of reduction in BMI in children and adolescents,
particularly the encephalomyopathic forms.
Keywords: Body mass index, growth, height, mitochondrial diseases, weight
