Brain scans found problems in many people with Noonan syndrome
Original title: Cranial pathologies in Noonan syndrome: clinical implications for pre-growth hormone neuroimaging.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a look back at scans from real patients, not a test of a treatment.
The short version
More than half of people with Noonan syndrome had something unusual on a brain scan.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at patients with Noonan syndrome seen between January 2000 and January 2025. They reviewed brain MRI scans, exams, and lab results from the time of diagnosis and later visits.
What they found. Brain scan problems were found in 54.1% of these patients. The findings ranged from differences in brain structure to tumors that mattered. Some of these caused no symptoms at all, so an exam alone could miss them. No new problems or cancers showed up later in patients who were taking growth hormone.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you or your child has Noonan syndrome, it may be worth asking a doctor about a brain MRI at diagnosis. A scan can find things early, before symptoms start. The results also offer some comfort about the safety of growth hormone treatment.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean every person with Noonan syndrome has a brain tumor. It was a look back at old records, not a trial of any treatment. It does not test a new drug and it is not a promise of a cure. Care guidelines have not changed because of this one study.
Source: PubMed, August 29, 2026 · Read the original
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