ADVERSE EVENTS DURING GROWTH-HORMONE THERAPY

The aim of this study was to ascertain the frequency of adverse events occuring during GH therapy in Australia and New Zealand since 1988, D ata for children receiving GH has been collected prospectively on a na tional database, OZGROW, after informed consent has been given, Advers e events were coded by clinicians and have been analysed in relation t o the nature of the event and the underlying diagnosis, There were 299 2 subjects analysed, representing 9004 years of GH therapy, 151 subjec ts reported a total of 210 adverse events giving an overall frequency of 2.3% adverse events/patient treated year, Events that were probably related to GH therapy included peripheral oedema, injection site prob lems and increased frequency of kyphoscoliosis and slipped epiphysis i n some groups, Adverse events were more frequent in growth hormone def icient children who had previously been treated for leukaemia, 8.1%, a nd in children previously treated for craniopharyngioma, 5.6%, A lower frequency was found for those with a diagnosis of idiopathic short st ature, 1.6%, and familial short stature, 0.9%, Kyphoscoliosis was more frequently seen in Turner's syndrome, and slipped epiphyses in adoles cent individuals with growth hormone deficiency, especially following treatment for leukaemia, There were no de novo tumours the frequencies of recurrence/patient year for leukaemia, solid cranial tumours and c raniopharyngioma were 1.1%, 2.2% and 3.8% respectively. A low frequenc y of adverse events has been reported on the OZGROW database but subse ts of patients may be at increased risk of musculoskeletal abnormaliti es during GH therapy, The frequency of tumour recurrence during therap y is not different from known rates of recurrence in individuals not t reated with GH.