Growth hormone treatment in Turner syndrome accelerates growth and skeletal maturation. Dutch Growth Hormone Working Group

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics 1992-07, Vol.151 (7), p.477-481
• Main Authors: Rongen-Westerlaken, C, Wit, J M, De Muinck Keizer-Schrama, S M, Otten, B J, Oostdijk, W, Delemarre-van der Waal, H A, Gons, M H, Bot, A, Van den Brande, J L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Determination by Skeleton; Bone Development - drug effects; Child; Female; Growth - drug effects; Growth Hormone - analogs & derivatives; Growth Hormone - therapeutic use; Hormones - therapeutic use; Human Growth Hormone; Humans; Recombinant Proteins; Turner Syndrome - drug therapy; Turner Syndrome - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0340-6199

Sixteen girls with Turner syndrome (TS) were treated for 4 years with biosynthetic growth hormone (GH). The dosage was 4 IU/m2 body surface s.c. per day over the first 3 years. In the 4th year the dosage was increased to 6 IU/m2 per day in the 6 girls with a poor height increment and in 1 girl oxandrolone was added. Ethinyl oestradiol was added after the age of 13. Mean (SD) growth velocities were 3.4 (0.9), 7.2 (1.7), 5.3 (1.3), 4.3 (2.0) and 3.6 (1.5) cm/year before and in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of treatment. Skeletal maturation advanced faster than usual in Turner patients especially in the younger children. Although the mean height prediction increased by 5.6 cm and 11 of the 16 girls have now exceeded their predicted height, the height of the 4 girls who stopped GH treatment exceeded the predicted adult height by only 0 to 3.4 cm.