title: [Evaluation of final height in patients with pituitary growth hormone deficiency who were treated with growth hormone replacement].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growth hormone (GH) therapy has been used for children with pituitary GH deficiency. It resulted in improving their height velocity and achieving an adult height in the normal range for the general population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the final height in childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency patients who had already completed treatment and were still GH deficient in adult life.
  
  
  METHODS
  21 children (12 boys and 9 girls) diagnosed as GH deficiency and treated with growth hormone to final height at doses of 0.17 mg/kg/week (0.5 IU/kg/week) subcutaneously for 7 days. There were 7 patients with isolated GHD and 14 with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the diagnosis peak serum GH concentrations were 2.8+/-2.8 mU/l in insulin tolerance test and 3.3+/-2.2 mU/l in clonidine test. Reconfirmation of the GH deficiency diagnosis after growth hormone treatment revealed a peak serum GH 1.77+/-1.2 mU/l in insulin tolerance test. Mean chronological age of the patients at the beginning of treatment was 10.29+/-3.57 years and was significantly higher in boys. Patients had completed a course of treatment in the chronological age of 17.85+/-1.97 years. Children began treatment with mean bone age 7.24+/-3.57 years and ended with 15+/-0.97 years. After the treatment a significant improvement in height was shown. Height SDS at the beginning of the treatment was -4.03+/-0.91 and -0.69+/-1.01 after the treatment. There was no difference between final height and target height (-0.54+/-0.93 SDS) in our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with pituitary growth hormone deficiency who were treated with growth hormone replacement achieve a final height in the normal range for the general population and their target height.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Pediatrii, Hematologii, Onkologii i Endokrynologii AM w Gdańsku, Gdańsk.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korpal-Szczyrska
authors.forename: Bohdana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dorant
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamińska
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Birkholz
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niedźwiecki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001848:Bone Diseases, Developmental / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone