[Psychosomal dwarfism with reversible growth hormone deficiency (author's transl)].

The diagnosis of psychosocial dwarfism in a 9 year-old boy with severe growth retardation (-6 1/2 standard deviations) was deduced from the typical history. The bone age was severely retarded and in the first days after admission a deficiency of growth hormone and other pituitary hormones was established. The change in environment per se led to a spontaneous reversal of the growth hormone deficiency within a short time. A rapid catch up growth was observed over the subsequent 2 1/2 years, as well as a normalisation of the psychological retardation.