INFLUENCE OF HEIGHT, CHRONOLOGICAL (CL) AND BONE AGE (BA) AT THE ONSET OF PUBERTY ON FINAL HEIGHT IN BOYS WITH HYPOPITUITARISM TREATED WITH GROWTH HORMONE (GH)

Abstract

Eleven males with, panhypopituitarism were studied for 1.7 to 4.1 years after the onset of puberty (heights -3.9 to 6.8 S.D.(table). They were treated with pituitary GH extracted at the Hospital das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo, 0.1 U/Kg/dose, I.M., 3 times a week for 1.5 to 3.3 years. Three patients developed puberty spontaneously and the others were treated with testosterone esters, 25 to 250mg a month at a BA of 11.5years, except one with 8A 9 y., CA 18.5y and growth velocity 2cm/y, during GH therapy. 3 patients reached final heignt(*)and in the others final height was determined by the method of Bayley-Pinneau with a BA of at least 13.5y.

We observed a linear correlation between height at the onset of puberty and at end of the study period(r=0.76, p<0.05)and did not observe correlation between CA and BA at the onset of puberty and final height(r=0.25 and r=0.16, p> 0.05).

We concluded that in boys with hypopituitarism the main influence of final height is the height at the onset of puberty. We suggest that in hypopituitarism patients with gonadotropin deficiency, testosterone therapy be delayed and in patients with isolated GH deficiency, puberty be retarded to increase height at the onset of puberty and eventually increase final height.

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