title: Incidence and prevalence rate estimation of GH treatment exposure in Piedmont pediatric population in the years 2002-2004: Data from the GH Registry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to estimate the annual incidence and prevalence rate of the GH treatment exposure in patients under the age of 18 treated for hypopituitarism or isolated GH deficiency (GHD) in Piedmont, during the period January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  The selection criteria for recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment in childhood were approved by the Ministry of Health in Italy in the yr 1998. The present analysis is based on data from the Registry of subjects receiving GH therapy (GH Registry) made up of the 918 pediatric patients (age <18 yr) with a diagnosis of GHD (excluding Prader-Willi and Turner syndromes and other conditions), diagnosed in the period January 1, 2002 - December 31, 2004. The case series has been described as regards the number of cases per year of diagnosis; the prevalence and incidence rates, calculated per 10,000 (per ten thousand) inhabitants, are given for each year of the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rate increases slightly from 8.62 per thousand in 2002 to 9.44 per thousand in 2004 and the incidence rates estimated were 2.49 per ten thousand, 1.86 per ten thousand and 1.97 per ten thousand in the yr 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Piedmont GH Registry represents the first database available in Italy and could set an example for the other Italian regions as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. giuseppe.migliaretti@unito.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Migliaretti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aimaretti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borraccino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vannelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bona
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Camanni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Sanctis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravaglia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavallo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone