114
Views
3
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

Growth hormone deficiency: diagnosis and therapy in children

&
Pages 273-284 | Published online: 10 Jan 2014
 

Abstract

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) represents a condition characterized by reduced GH secretion, isolated or associated with other pituitary hormone deficiencies. Diagnosis of GHD in childhood is achieved by secretagogs testing in combination with auxological parameters, such as height and growth velocity and biochemical and radiological findings. Only after excluding other causes of growth failure should a careful assessment of the pituitary–IGF-1 axis be undertaken, using GH-provocative tests and basal serum IGF-I values. As recommended by the GH Research Society, patients with GHD should be treated with recombinant human GH in order to normalize height during childhood and, ultimately, attain a normal adult height.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Laurene Kelly for her English revision of the paper and to Giorgio Radetti for his helpful comments during the preparation of this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.