A change in the size of body parts occurs as a result of physiological growth or aging of the body, weight fluctuations, various pathological processes (endocrinopathy, tumor development, exudate accumulation, etc.). Disproportions of the body can be visually noticeable, determined by palpation, identified by objective studies (anthropometry, radiography, MRI). Treatment is necessary only in cases where a change in the size of body parts is caused by a particular disease, disrupts the functioning of the body and the appearance of the individual.
The physique of a person is genetically determined. At the same time, in ontogenesis, the development of various parts of the body proceeds asynchronously and unevenly. The natural growth of the body ends by about 18-22 years. According to the clinical classification, there are 4 body types:
- Normosthenic . Normostenics have an athletic build with a well-developed muscular frame. Strong, enduring, in the absence of physical activity are prone to moderate weight gain.
- Asthenic . Asthenics are tall, have a narrow chest, and long limbs. They are prone to arterial hypotension, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland and pituitary gland, hypofunction of the gonads and adrenal glands.
- Hypersthenic . Hypersthenics are short in stature, have a high percentage of subcutaneous fat. Often suffer from high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism.
- Dysplastic . This type is characterized by disproportionate sizes of body parts. Women often have masculine traits, men are eunuchoid.
The appearance of a person and the ratio of body parts to each other may indicate a predisposition or the presence of certain diseases of hormonal, neoplastic, inflammatory and other genesis. Changes in the size of various parts of the body can be due to the following reasons:
- abnormal head sizes: hydrocephalus, subdural hematoma, brain tumors, Sotos syndrome;
- microsomia: Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome, adrenogenital syndrome, panhypopituitarism, osteogenesis imperfecta;
- gigantism/acromegaly: pituitary adenoma, pituitary hyperplasia;
- an increase in the size of the mammary glands: weight gain, pregnancy, taking COCs, mastopathy, breast tumors, gynecomastia;
- an increase in the volume of the abdomen: abdominal obesity, pregnancy, ascites, tumors of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis, intestinal obstruction.