Nuchal Skinfold Thickness: A Novel Parameter for Assessment of Body Composition in Childhood Craniopharyngioma

CONTEXT: Hypothalamic obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and relapse/progression have a major impact on prognosis in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CP). We analyzed nuchal skinfold thickness (NST) on magnetic resonance imaging performed for follow-up monitoring as a novel parameter for body composition (BC) and CVD in CP. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to identify the association of NST with body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR), functional capacity, and blood pressure (BP) in CP and controls. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal prospective study in CP patients. SETTING: The study was conducted at HIT-Endo, KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2000/2007. PATIENTS: Participants included 94 CP patients and 75 controls. INTERVENTIONS: There were no interventions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Association of NST with BC and BP in 43 CP and 43 controls was measured. RESULTS: NST correlated with BMI SD score (SDS; r = 0.78; P < .001; n = 169) and WHtR (r = 0.85; P < .001; n = 86) in the total cohort and CP patients (NST-BMI SDS: r = 0.77, P < .001, n = 94); NST-WHtR: r = 0.835, P < .001, n=43) and controls (NST-BMI SDS: r = 0.792, P < .001, n = 75; NST-WHtR: r = 0.671, P < .001, n = 43). In CP, systolic BP correlated with NST (r = 0.575, P < .001), BMI SDS (r = 0.434, P = .004), and WHtR (r = 0.386, P = .011). Similar results were observed for diastolic BP in CP. In multivariate analyses, NST had a predictive value for hypertension in postpubertal CP and controls (odds ratio 6.98, 95% confidence interval [1.65, 29.5], P = .008). During a longitudinal follow-up, changes in NST correlated with changes in BMI SDS (P < .001) and WHtR (P = .01) but not with changes in BP and functional capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Because monitoring of magnetic resonance imaging and BC is essential for follow-up in CP, NST could serve as a novel and clinically relevant parameter for longitudinal assessment of BC and CVD risk in CP.