Diagnostic growth hormone deficiency testing practices among patients in the NCGS/NCSS databases.

This report describes the etiology and diagnostic testing of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) among pediatric patients enrolled in the National Cooperative Growth Study (NCGS) database and adult patients enrolled in the National Cooperative Somatropin Surveillance (NCSS) database. The etiologies of GHD within the two databases are defined and compared; the various GH-stimulation tests utilized by participating investigators are identified; and the contribution of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I measurement to diagnostic testing is assessed. Throughout the report, the diagnosis and classification of patients with organic GHD is highlighted.