Abstract
Diminished final height was noted in cases of CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Overdosage of glucocorticoids in infancy and blunted growth spurts in adolescents were assumed to be the causes. - This study focuses on pubertal growth in 26 female CAH-patients adequately treated with gluco-and mineralocorticoids. 17 girls in group I received 20-25 mg/m2 of hydrocortisone and if necessary 0,025-0,15 mg of 9α-fluoro-cortisol. 9 girls in group II received an additional cyproterone-acetate therapy if bone age (BA) advanced height age (HA) for more than 1 year. Group I: A pubertal growth spurt was found in 14 girls (82,4%) with a peak height velocity of 6-2±1,6 (SD) cm/ yr. In puberty the BA of early treated girls developed slowly. Based on the BA the peak height velocity was therefore even elevated up to 8,7±1,4cm/yr. BA.
Group II: Cyproterone-acetate suppressed symptoms of puberty but did not extinguish growth spurt. During 6,3±1,3 yrs. of treatment BA advanced only 4,2±0,7 yrs. However, in this periodheight increased by 20,8±6,4 cm which corresponds to a mean height velocity of 3,3±0,8 cm/yr., and 4,9±0,8 cm/yr. BA. In 4 patients adult height had improved by 6,5±1,5cm compared to the prognosis of adult height before treatment. In summary, adequately treated CAH-girls showed normal values for pubertal height velocity, those treated additionally with cyproteroneacetate exhibited improved height velocity and adult height.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Willig, R., Christtanssen, D. Pubertal Growth in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Pediatr Res 18, 1226 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00155
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00155