Spontaneous final adult height in patients with idiopathic short stature

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is defined as a height more than two standard deviations (SD) below the mean for age and sex for population group without evidence of a systemic, endocrine, nutritional, or genetically determined disorder. The study aimed to analyze the final height (FH) in a group of patients with ISS.

The inclusion criteria were as follows: • height < -2 SD or difference between height and target height (TH) calculated based on parents' height more than -1 SD; • growth hormone secretion above 10 ng/ml in stimulation tests or after falling asleep; • absence of chronic diseases that could be the cause of short stature; • Turner syndrome excluded, and lack of signs suggesting other genetically determined disorders. We evaluated the auxological data of 16 patients among 22 patients with ISS (13 girls and 3 boys) who completed the growth process.

The mean FH in the study group was 150.9 cm, the mean FH SDS was -2.85. Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between FH and predicted adult height based on prepubertal bone age (r = 0.905, p < 0.001) and a second evaluation of bone age (r = 0.780, p = 0.13). Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between FH SDS and height SD score (height SDS) at the age of 4 and 6 years (r = 0.749, p = 0.033 and r = 0.946, p < 0.001).

Predicted adult height on prepubertal bone age and the height standard deviation score at the age of 4 years and 6 years can help estimate final height in a group of patients with idiopathic short stature.