Dose-Dependent Effect of Growth Hormone on Final Height in Children with Short Stature without Growth Hormone deficiency.

Context: Effect of GH therapy in short non GH deficient children, especially idiopathic short stature (ISS) has not been clearly established owing to lack of controlled trials until final height (FH). Objective: To investigate the effect of two GH doses compared with untreated controls on growth to FH in short children mainly with ISS. Design and Setting: A randomized, controlled, long-term multicenter trial in Sweden. Intervention: Two doses of GH (Genotropin): 33 or 67 microg/kg/d plus untreated controls. Subjects: 177 subjects with short stature were enrolled. Of these, 151 were included in the Intent to Treat (AllITT) Population and 108 in the Per Protocol (AllPP) Population. Analysis of ISS subjects included 126 children in the ITT (ISSITT) Population and 68 subjects in the PP (ISSPP) Population. Main Outcome Measures: FH SDS, difference in SDS to midparenteral height (diff MPHSDS), and gain in HeightSDS. Results: After 5.9+/-1.1 yr on GH therapy, the FHSDS in the AllPP Population treated with GH vs. controls was -1.5+/-0.81 (33 microg/kg/d: -1.7+/-0.70, 67 microg/kg/d: -1.4+/-0.86; P<0.032), vs. -2.4+/-0.85 (P<0.001), the diff MPHSDS -0.2+/-1.0 vs. -1.0+/-0.74 (P<0.001), and the gain in HeightSDS 1.3+/-0.78 vs. 0.2+/-0.69 (P<0.001). GH therapy was safe and had no impact on time to onset of puberty. A dose-response relationship identified after 1 yr remained to FH for all growth outcome variables in all four populations. Conclusion: GH treatment significantly increased FH in ISS children in a dose-dependent manner, with a mean gain of 1.3 SDS (8 cm), and a broad range of response from no gain to 3 SDS compared to a mean gain of 0.2 SDS in the untreated controls

Nordic consensus on treatment of undescended testes

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldAIM: To reach consensus among specialists from the Nordic countries on the present state-of-the-art in treatment of undescended testicles. METHODS: A group of specialists in testicular physiology, paediatric surgery/urology, endocrinology, andrology, pathology and anaesthesiology from all the Nordic countries met for two days. Before the meeting, reviews of the literature had been prepared by the participants. RECOMMENDATIONS: The group came to the following unanimous conclusions: (1) In general, hormonal treatment is not recommended, considering the poor immediate results and the possible long term adverse effects on spermatogenesis. Thus, surgery is to be preferred. (2) Orchiopexy should be done between 6 and 12 months of age, or upon diagnosis, if that occurs later. (3) Orchiopexy before age one year should only be done at centres with both paediatric surgeons/urologists and paediatric anaesthesiologists. (4) If a testis is found to be undescended at any age after 6 months, the patient should be referred for surgery--to paediatric rather than general surgeons/urologists if the boy is less than one year old or if he has bilateral or non-palpable testes, or if he has got relapse of cryptorchidism