Gussinyé M, Potau N, Vicens-Calvet E, Albisu M A, Yeste D, Ibáñez L, Audí L, Carrascosa A
Servicio de Endocrinología y Laboratorio Hormonal, Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona.
Med Clin (Barc). 1997 Jan 25;108(3):87-90.
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.
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.
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.
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.
