CONDITIONS SPANNING PEDIATRIC AND ADULT ENDOCRINE PRACTICE - THE ADULT PERSPECTIVE

Close liaison between paediatric and adult endocrinologists is essenti al for optimum care in a variety of clinical conditions. The increasin gly recognized importance of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in the ad ult is a further indication for maintaining long-term follow-up of pat ients with isolated GHD, which remains demonstrable when linear growth is complete, in addition to those patients presenting in childhood wi th evidence of structural pituitary disease and anterior pituitary fai lure. Additional areas in which liaison is desirable include congenita l adrenal hyperplasia, precocious puberty, gonadal dysgenesis and othe r disorders of primary and secondary sexual development, thyroid dysfu nction, diabetes mellitus, inherited neoplasia syndromes and those con ditions, for example Gushing's syndrome, which present in childhood bu t are more common in adult clinical endocrine practice. In this brief review, the diagnostic spectrum of the paediatric/adult interface is d escribed and the rationale for an integrated approach to treatment and follow-up is outlined.