[Adult height, pattern of growth and pubertal development in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, salt losing form].

BACKGROUND

The height growth pattern in 24 patients with the salt-wasting from of congenital adrenal hyperplasia was retrospectively evaluated from the neonatal period to attainment of adult height.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients were on mineralcorticoid therapy and received hydrocortisone (mg/m2 body surface and day. Mean +/- SD): 34.53 +/- 8.2 during the first year of life, 22.83 +/- 4.1 from then to the puberty onset and 21.83 +/- 3.6 during puberty. Height was measured every 3-4 months and compared with that of the normal age- and sex-matched controls.

RESULTS

Height differences with respect to reference population (M +/- SD) were: +0.38 +/- 0.82 in the neonatal period; -2.21 +/- 1.1 at one year of age; -0.76 +/- 1.25 at three years of age; -0.45 +/- 0.99 at the onset of puberty and -1.34 +/- 0.79 at attainment of adult height. Adult height differed significantly (p < 0.01) from control values and in girls from those of their mothers (p < 0.05). Hyperandrogenism, evaluated through urinary 17-ketosteroids, testosterone, delta 4 androstenedione and DA-S, was not documented during prepuberty and puberty.

CONCLUSIONS

Our patients showed a lower growth rate than those of the control population during the two periods of higher growth potentiality: the first year of life and puberty, and this results in adult height impairment.