Brief communication: Pituitary volume and function in competing and retired male boxers

Background: Pituitary consequences of chronic head trauma in boxing have not been investigated in detail. Objective: To investigate the pituitary function in retired or active amateur boxers. Design: Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting: Turkey. Participants: 61 actively competing (n = 44) or retired (n = 17) male boxers of the Turkish National Boxing Team. Measurements: Body composition variables, pituitary volume (in 38 of 61 boxers), and pituitary function. Results: 9 of 61 boxers (15%) had growth hormone (GH) deficiency and 5 of 61 boxers (8%) had adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency. All boxers with GH deficiency except 1 were retired from boxing. Of 17 retired boxers, 8 (47%) had GH deficiency. Retired boxers with GH deficiency had significantly lower pituitary volume than retired boxers with normal GH. Limitation: Pituitary volume was measured in only 38 of 61 boxers, and the study had no comparison group. Conclusion: This study suggests that retired boxers have a high rate of pituitary dysfunction. Therefore, investigation of pituitary function in boxers, particularly retired ones, is recommended.