STEROID STUDIES IN NORMAL AND ADIPOSE CHILDREN

Abstract

Simpson (1) has described adiposity in children associated with other interesting clinical features, possibly referable to adrenocortical overactivity. Total neutral 17-ketosteroid estimations have been carried out on a small number of these children (2). However, the complex mixture of compounds estimated as 17-ketosteroids indicates the need for separation into the individual steroids, or at least into groups of steroids of related structure. Simpson (3) has also described an increased excretion of reducing steroids in some of these children whose position is on the border-land of endocrinopathy, i.e., they demonstrate, in most cases, either a minimalpathologic condition or an extreme of physiologic normality.