[Adult height, pattern of growth and pubertal development in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, salt losing form].

BACKGROUND: The height growth pattern in 24 patients with the salt-wasting from of congenital adrenal hyperplasia was retrospectively evaluated from the neonatal period to attainment of adult height. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients were on mineralcorticoid therapy and received hydrocortisone (mg/m2 body surface and day. Mean +/- SD): 34.53 +/- 8.2 during the first year of life, 22.83 +/- 4.1 from then to the puberty onset and 21.83 +/- 3.6 during puberty. Height was measured every 3-4 months and compared with that of the normal age- and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: Height differences with respect to reference population (M +/- SD) were: +0.38 +/- 0.82 in the neonatal period; -2.21 +/- 1.1 at one year of age; -0.76 +/- 1.25 at three years of age; -0.45 +/- 0.99 at the onset of puberty and -1.34 +/- 0.79 at attainment of adult height. Adult height differed significantly (p < 0.01) from control values and in girls from those of their mothers (p < 0.05). Hyperandrogenism, evaluated through urinary 17-ketosteroids, testosterone, delta 4 androstenedione and DA-S, was not documented during prepuberty and puberty. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients showed a lower growth rate than those of the control population during the two periods of higher growth potentiality: the first year of life and puberty, and this results in adult height impairment.