Hormone replacement treatment in Turner syndrome

Turner syndrome is one of the most common sex chromosome abnormalities with an incidence of 1:2500 female newborns, characterized by short stature, gonadal dysgenesis in 85-90% of cases, special neurocognitive profiles and cardiac and renal abnormalities. Hormone replacement treatment should be initiated at a physiological age in these patients who do not enter puberty spontaneously and should be continued up to the age of normal menopause. The age-appropriate and adequate initiation of hormone replacement therapy has many beneficial effects in many aspects such as: the development of secondary sexual characteristics at an age-appropriate time; better psychosocial functioning and integration in the peer group during adolescence; the improvement of bone mineral density; normal uterine growth; and, therefore, the possibility of the accomplishment of an uneventful pregnancy after assisted reproduction and the fulfillment of motherhood. It is crucial that these women understand that hormone replacement is a long-term treatment.