DOES GROWTH-HORMONE SUPPLEMENTATION AFFECT ADULT HEIGHT IN TURNERS-SYNDROME

Background By comparison with historical controls, the effect of treat ment with growth hormone on adult height in Turner's syndrome was init ially reported as uniformly and strongly positive. Because randomised controlled trials are not near completion, we report our experiences i n an open study. Methods We examined adult height, projected attained, in 31 patients (17 treated with subcutaneous recombinant human growth hormone, up to 15 mg a week, outside of a controlled trial and 14 unt reated contemporaries). Findings Contingency table analysis of attaine d versus projected height showed significantly higher values in treate d patients although only 4 of 17 had final heights of 5 cm or more ove r projection, Patients' and treatment variables (height, bone-age dela y, oestrogen replacement) that interfere with adult height projection confounded the analysis of adult height data. Interpretation Girls wit h Turner's syndrome should be counselled cautiously about the expectat ion of a strongly positive effect of treatment on adult height. Comple tion of the randomised controlled trials to adult height is needed to establish the effect of growth-hormone supplementation on adult height in Turner's syndrome and the psychological effect of treatment.