Growth hormone treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets.

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) is frequently associated with grow th retardation and short adult stature, el en with an appropriate conventio nal treatment associating phosphate and calcitriol or 1 alpha-hydroxyvitami n D. its pathogenesis is unclear growth hormone (GH) secretion is usually n ormal. Sir children with XLHR and growth retardation Here treated with GH d uring 6 years. In addition, they received the conventional treatment. At th e beginning of the treatment mean age Has 7.8 +/- 1.8 years, and height mea n Z score was -3.4 +/- 05. A control group was composed of six children wit h XLHR (age: 7.9 +/- 2.5 years) receiving the conventional treatment only. Under GH treatment statural growth was improved with significant increase i n Z score and predicted adult height; the height gain was significantly hig her in the GH treated group as compared with the group receiving the conven tional treatment only. In addition, radial bone mineral density increased s ignificantly under GN treatment. GH treatment thus appears to be a useful t reatment to improve statural growth in children with XLHR. (C) 1998 Elsevie r, Paris.