Uterine size in women with Turner syndrome after induction of puberty with estrogens and long-term growth hormone therapy: results of the German IGLU Follow-up Study 2001.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the factors influencing uterine size in young adult women with Turner syndrome (TS) after long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study. Out of 188 women with TS from 96 German centres, whose longitudinal growth was documented within KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database), data on uterine size were collected voluntarily at a standardized follow-up visit: 75 TS women (ages: 15.8-30.8 years) with complete data were included. Classification according to karyotype: 45,X (78.6%), 45,X/46,XX (5.4%), 45,X/46,iXq (8%), 45,X/46,XY (8%). Puberty was induced with estrogens in all women. At follow-up, 66 were on cyclic estrogens and progestins.


RESULTS
13/66 (19.6%) TS women who received estrogens had a reduced uterine length <5 cm. Calculating the data in standard deviation scores (SDS), only women with 45,X/46,XX karyotype had normal median uterine length and volume of 0.6 and 1.59 SDS respectively. An incomplete breast development (Tanner stage B 3) was found in women with 45,X karyotype (n = 11; 18.6%) and with 45,X/46,XY (n = 2).


CONCLUSIONS
Only TS women with karyotype 45,X/46,XX had normal uterine sizes, whereas 26% of the TS women with karyotype 45,X had a uterine length <-2 SDS, and 18% a volume <-2 SDS.
Doerr
Helmuth G
HG
University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Erlangen, Germany. hgdoerr@kinder.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Bettendorf
Markus
M
Hauffa
Berthold P
BP
Mehls
Otto
O
Partsch
Carl-Joachim
CJ
Said
Elfriede
E
Sander
Sabine
S
Schwarz
Hans-Peter
HP
Stahnke
Nikolaus
N
Steinkamp
Heiner
H
Ranke
Michael B
MB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects*; D012016:Reference Values; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
D019382:Human Growth Hormone