[Growth of anorexic adolescents]

Growth and puberty were studied in 19 children with anorexia nervosa (15 girls and 4 boys), the onset being before puberty or in its early stages. Growth retardation reached 2.04 +/- 1.39 SD, with important individual changes and for some patients a prolonged interruption of growth. Seventeen of 19 patients presented delayed puberty, and in some, hypogonadism persisted after recovery from anorexia nervosa. Endocrine investigations concerning the pituitary somatotropic (GH) and gonadotropic (FSH, LH) secretions, as well as gonadal steroids showed highly variable changes from one patient to another and even variations in the same patient from one test to another. However, no correlation could be found between the hormonal abnormalities and the degree or length of undernutrition. Some patients recovered normal endocrine function when they reached an adequate weight, others kept a lasting deficiency. The endocrine impairment in anorexia, well known in adults, is probably more severe in adolescents.