Final Height of Patients Following Long-Term Treatment for theIdiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency (The Czech Register 1991-1998)

Overview

Background.
Final height was evaluated in patients from the Czech Register with idiopathic growth hormonedeficiency treated with GH.Methods and Results. 23 patients had the isolated growth hormone deficiency (group 1), and 37 suffered frommultiple pituitary hormones deficiencies (group 2). The patients from group 1 and 2 were given growth hormone for6.7±2.2 years and 9.6±3.0 years, respectively. The patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency reached finalheight -1.4±1.3 SDS, those with multiple hormone deficiencies were taller (-0.7±1.5 SDS). The height gain equalled+2.5±0.6 SDS and +3.4±1.1 SDS in group 1 and 2, respectively. 70 % of the patients in group 1 and 93 % of group2 reached final heights within the target limits (± 2 SDS).Conclusion. The final height positively correlated with the target height (mid-parental height) and height at theonset of puberty (group 1 and 2). There was a negative correlation between the final height and the chronologicalage at the beginning of growth hormone therapy in group 1.

Key words:
idiopatic growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone treatment, final height.