Final height in children with growth hormone deficiency

Forty-six patients (28 boys, 18 girls) were treated with growth hormone (GH) for short stature. Twenty-eight patients had total growth hormone deficiency (GHD), 12 partial GHD and 6 patients had short stature without GHD. Brain tumours were the cause of GHD in 8 patients and multiple pituitary hormone deficiency was present in 9 children. All patients received GH with subcutaneous injections only, 6-7 times/week. Mean final height for all patients was -1.11 SDS and was similar in boys (-1.09 SDS) and girls (-1.13 SDS). Target height SDS was -0.80 SDS in 42 patients, comparing favourably with a final height SDS of -1.05. Similar results were obtained in all patient sub-groups. Height velocity during the last year of therapy was between 2.1 and 9.9 cm/year in 34 patients and below 2 cm in 12 patients. As further growth is to be expected, target height will probably be reached by most patients.