202 ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



SYMPTOMS. 



These are of two different kinds : 



1. Dystrophic symptoms. 



2. Symptoms of cerebral tumors. 



I. DYSTROPHIC SYMPTOMS. 



A rapid increase in growth, together with an increase in 

 size of the genitalia, and the appearance of hairs in the 

 axilla, face and pubis are the chief elements of pineal 

 syndromes and have been called by Pellizzi, Precocious 

 macrogenitosomia . 



1. HEIGHT increases rapidly and is much more than 

 that of the average child of that age. This progression 

 shows an important characteristic. There is no deformity 

 or disproportion of any segment of the body. X-ray of 

 the bones shows that the size of the cartilages are reduced 

 in relation to the age of the patient. In other words, 

 growth is accelerated, but follows the normal course. 



2. THE GENITAL ORGANS become excessive. The 

 testicles and particularly the penis increase excessively 

 in size. At 8 or 10 years of age, these children have erec- 

 tions and ejaculations containing spermatozoa. 



3. THE HAIRS appear precociously on the pubis, the 

 axilla and the face. The change in the voice has been 

 observed in children of 3 or 5. This syndrome may not 

 be present as a whole. Some patients have an excessive 

 growth, a marked proliferation of hairs and the genitalia 

 stay small; others have an excessive genital development, 

 while the hairs are not developed. A psychic hyper- 

 activity, characterized by an astounding intellectual 

 precociousness has been noticed in some cases, parallel to 

 the sexual and physical development. 



To the signs of macrogenito-somatisms are super- 

 imposed certain observations of adiposity and diabetes 



