Syndrome of kidney essence insufficiency refers to the symptoms of retard growth, decline in reproduction and senilism due to consumption of kidney essence. This syndrome is mainly caused by congenital defect, postnatal malnutrition and insufficiency of primordial qi; or by impairment due to chronic disease, intemperance of sexual life and consumption of kidney essence.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Infantile retardation of growth and closure of fontanel, flaccidity of skeleton, retardation of body growth, slowness in action and feeblemindedness; senilism in adults, aching and weakness of loins and knees, dizziness, tinnitus and deafness, loss of hair and looseness of teeth, flaccidity of feet, amnesia and dull facial expression; sterility due to oligospermia in man, infertility due to amenorrhea in woman and sexual hypoesthesia. Such symptoms are usually seen in infantile malnutrition, rickets, retardation of intelligence, senile dementia, sexual underdevelopment, hypogonadism, sterility in man and infertility in woman.

Analysis of the symptoms:
Infantile retardation of growth and closure of fontanel, flaccidity of skeleton, retardation of body growth, slowness in action and feeblemindedness are caused by asthenia of kidney and its failure in transforming qi and blood as well as malnutrition of the brain and body; senilism in adults, aching and weakness of loins and knees, dizziness, tinnitus and deafness, loss of hair and looseness of teeth, flaccidity of feet, amnesia and dull facial expression are caused by asthenia of kidney essence that fails to control bones and nourish the brain, teeth, hair and spirit; sterility due to oligospermia in man, infertility due to amenorrhea in woman and sexual hypoesthesia are caused by asthenia of kidney essence and insufficiency of the reproductive source.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
This syndrome is marked by retardation of body development in infants, hypogonadism and senilism in adults.