[Growth hormone for Turner's syndrome]

Short stature is a prominent feature of Turner's syndrome. Various anabolic steroids and estrogens have been used, but the recent availability of biosynthetic human growth hormone (hGH) has led to its clinical evaluation in this syndrome. 10 girls with the syndrome, aged 5-13.8 years (mean 10.8), were treated with recombinant hGH. Height after 12 months of treatment was significantly greater than before treatment. The accelerated growth velocity after 1 year of treatment continued for longer periods. Girls who completed 3 years of treatment have exceeded their untreated expected adult height. No adverse reactions were noted and compliance was good. These results indicate that hGH is useful for accelerating growth velocity in patients with Turner's syndrome. Therapy that normalizes height during childhood may have important psychologic effects, and is likely to influence the child's self-image and peer relationships.