Endocrine complications of bone marrow transplantation in children

Eighty-seven patients had a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at our institution between 1980 and 1992. We wished to study the endocrine complications that accompany this procedure as long-term survival is now much more common. Forty-three patients were retrospectively available for review and their records were examined for evidence of thyroid, pubertal, and growth complications. Fifteen per cent of the patients showed evidence of thyroid involvement. Pubertal delay or gonadal damage was almost universal in pubertal-aged girls treated with busulfan/cyclophosphamide. Gonadal involvement was more frequent in girls than in boys (70% vs. 47%). Sixty per cent of children were shorter or grew at a slower rate. Sixty-five per cent of the children presented with one or more endocrine complications. These are the combined effects of different treatment regimens (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, combined therapy). It is essential to know the natural history of these patients in order to offer proper guidance and treatment as survival rates are increasing.