Idiopathic short stature
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
A M Pasquino1, A Albanese, M Bozzola
1Paediatric Endocrinology Service, University La Sapienza Rome, Italy. annamarp@tin.it
Abstract:
Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a term used to describe the status of children with short stature that cannot be attributed to a specific cause. Many children diagnosed as having ISS have partial GH insensitivity, which can result from disturbances at various points of the GH-IGF-I axis. Several clinical studies on spontaneous growth in ISS showed that adult height was almost in the range of target height. GH treatment led to adult height not significantly higher than the pretreatment predicted adult height in most reports. No metabolic side effects have been observed, even when the dose was higher than in GH deficiency. Manipulation of puberty with gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues reported by a few authors in a small number of children has shown conflicting results. Long-term psychological benefits of GH therapy for short normal children have not been demonstrated to date.
Related Concept Videos
Nature and Nurture
Polygenic Traits
Physical Growth During Infancy and Toddlerhood
Heritability
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Intellectual Disability