Attainment of normal height in severe juvenile hypothyroidism.
Prolonged juvenile hypothyroidism results in a permanent loss in height that is related to the duration of thyroxine deficiency before adequate thyroxine replacement treatment. A 13 year old girl with severe juvenile hypothyroidism was studied prospectively. She had an undetectable serum thyroxine concentration, a height SD score of -6.6 SD, and a bone age of 5.8 years. The enlarged pituitary gland involuted with thyroxine treatment to produce an empty sella. In addition to thyroxine the girl was treated with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist to avoid the progression of puberty for 18 months and with growth hormone to achieve normal adult height.
Department of Paediatrics, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
K
K
Minamitani
A
A
Murata
H
H
Ohnishi
K
K
Wataki
T
T
Yasuda
H
H
Niimi
D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013974:Thyroxine