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[Final results of treatment with human growth hormone]
Insights
Human growth hormone (hGH) therapy partially corrected growth failure in children with complete growth hormone deficiency. While most achieved some height gain, final adult height remained below average for many, though psychological effects were positive.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Growth Hormone Therapy
Context:
- 34 children with complete growth hormone deficiency and significant growth failure (average -3.9 SD) were treated.
- Treatment duration ranged from 3.5 to 11.75 years (mean 5.4 years).
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of human growth hormone (hGH) treatment in children with complete growth hormone deficiency.
- To assess the final height outcomes and psychological impact of long-term hGH therapy.
Summary:
- Partial height correction was achieved in nearly all patients treated with hGH.
- Average final height remained below normal (-2.4 SD age, -1.75 SD bone age), with normal height achieved in only 50% of cases.
- School and professional performances were comparable to normal adolescents.
Impact:
- hGH therapy offers partial growth improvement but does not guarantee normal adult height in all cases of complete growth hormone deficiency.
- The medical support and supervision during treatment positively influenced the psychological well-being of patients and families.
- Further research may explore optimizing hGH treatment protocols for better final height outcomes.
Abstract:
The authors report the results of treatment with human growth hormone (hGH) (for 3 1/2 years to 11 3/4 years, mean: 5 years 4 months) in 34 children presenting with complete growth hormone deficiency and an average growth failure reaching 3.9 standard deviations (SD). Treatment was discontinued, after spontaneous or induced puberty, when bone age reached or was beyond 15 years in boys, and 13 years in girls. A partial correction was obtained in almost all cases. However, average height remained at -2.4 SD with respect to age and -1.75 with respect to bone age, reaching normal limits in only half of the patients. School and professional performances were not appreciably different from those which are observed in normal adolescents. Although the acceptance of the diagnosis and therapy was not always good, the medical support associated with the supervision of the treatment seems to have had a favourable psychological effect.