No difference in pubertal growth and final height between treated hypogonadal and non-hypogonadal thalassemic patients.
BACKGROUND
Many factors can negatively affect growth in thalassemic patients, and hypogonadism has been considered as the main factor responsible for their pubertal growth failure.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of hypogonadism and its treatment on pubertal growth and final height in thalassemic patients.


METHODS
We compared the growth of 28 hypogonadal thalassemic patients in whom puberty was induced to that of 25 patients in whom puberty occurred spontaneously.


RESULTS
In both groups of patients we observed reduced peak height velocity (induced puberty: females 4.9 +/- 2.1, males 6.0 +/- 1.8 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 6.1 +/- 1.5, males 7.3 +/- 2.1 cm/year) and pubertal height gain (induced puberty: females 11.3 +/- 4.0, males 18.0 +/- 4.5 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 15.8 +/- 2.7, males 18.1 +/- 5.3 cm/year) and a short final height (induced puberty: females -1.8 +/- 0.7, males -2.1 +/- 1.0 SDS; spontaneous puberty: females -2.3 +/- 1.0, males -1.9 +/- 1.0 SDS).


CONCLUSIONS
Poor pubertal growth is present in thalassemic patients regardless of hypogonadism. Other factors are responsible for the reduced growth spurt and the final short stature observed in these patients.
Caruso-Nicoletti
Manuela
M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. endoped@unict.it
De Sanctis
Vincenzo
V
Raiola
Giuseppe
G
Skordis
Nicos
N
Mancuso
Michele
M
Coco
Marilena
M
Wonke
Beatrix
B
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
D013739:Testosterone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol