A Masking Effect: A Case of Initial Presentation of Ulcerative Colitis After Discontinuing Growth Hormone Therapy

The inflammation and repair of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involve a complex interplay between innate, adaptive immune responses, and hormones. This may explain the relapsing clinical course of the disease.

We present the first reported case of a patient presenting their initial flare of ulcerative colitis immediately after discontinuing growth hormone (GH) therapy, suggesting treatment with GH or growth factors may prevent the development of IBD.

This is a case of a 13-year-old female with a history of GH deficiency, presenting with an 8-week history of abdominal pain, blood-stained diarrhea, and fecal calprotectin greater than 8000 mcg/g, 2 weeks after discontinuing GH therapy. The patient subsequently underwent an esophagoduodenoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies showing histological features consistent with ulcerative colitis.

The finding of withdrawing GH or growth factors therapy potentially unmasking IBD in this patient raises a question of whether growth factors can inhibit the development of IBD and suggests beneficial effects of treatment with GH or growth factors as adjuvant therapy for IBD.