title: Effect of high-dose glucocorticosteroid treatment for infantile spasms on quantitative bone parameters later in life.
abstract: This study evaluated possible long-term effects of prolonged high-dose glucocorticosteroid administration in infancy. Thirty patients (16 male, 14 female; age 4.8-33 years) who had completed treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) followed by glucocorticoids for infantile spasms at a tertiary pediatric hospital at least 2 years previously were invited to undergo quantitative bone ultrasound. The mean speed of soundZ score was -1.085 ± 1.079 for the radius and -0.22 ± 1.19 for the tibia on the nondominant side (P = .0022). The difference from the reference mean (0) was statistically significant for the radius (P < .001). There were no significant differences in radial or tibial mean speed of soundZ scores by age (prepubertal versus pubertal/postpubertal). In conclusion, a high percentage of patients treated with glucocorticoids for infantile spasms have a low radial speed of soundZ score later in life. Long-term follow-up can help to prevent and treat impairments in bone density, especially in non-weight-bearing organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics E/Ambulatory Day Care Center, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel. eidlitz@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eidlitz-Markus
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kivity
authors.forename: Hadassa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goldberg-Stern
authors.forename: Yishai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haimi-Cohen
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeharia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone