Recovery from neurological sequelae secondary to oncological brain surgery in an adult growth hormone-deficient patient after growth hormone treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To report an unusual case of significant neurological recovery in a 26-year-old growth hormone-deficient female patient with significant neurological sequelae resulting from brain surgery at 11 years of age.


METHODS
Case report.


RESULTS
Most of the neurological sequelae present at admission recovered after 8 months of combined growth hormone administration and kinesitherapy/speech therapy. These include an increase in tongue size and mobility and in the amount and quality of saliva, improvement in vocal cords function, recovery of oesophageal peristalsis and disappearance of sleep apnoea.


CONCLUSIONS
Since the patient had undergone intensive physical rehabilitation for a 15-year period with no significant improvement, it is tempting to speculate that the correction of growth hormone deficiency improved her rehabilitation. Therefore, we propose that growth hormone treatment, combined with the adequate kinesitherapy, may be a useful therapy for effective recovery from some neurological deficits in patients with growth hormone deficiency.
Devesa
Jesús
J
Medical Center Project Foltra, Teo, A Coruña, Spain. jesus.devesa@usc.es
Reimunde
Pedro
P
Devesa
Ana
A
Souto
Sonia
S
Lopez-Amado
Manuel
M
Devesa
Pablo
P
Arce
Víctor M
VM
D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D020209:Cranial Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013070:Speech Therapy; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone