The effect of treatment of final height in classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)

Abstract

The goal of therapy in classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia is to suppress excessive androgen production and thus avoid the manifestations of androgen excess, early epiphyseal fusion and resultant short stature. This retrospective analysis was conducted to determine if the final height (Ht) of treated patients with classical CAH was influenced by: 1) the clinical form of classical CAH i.e., salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia (SWCAH) versus simple-virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia (SVCAH); 2) the age of diagnosis and of initiation of therapy; and 3) the degree of hormonal control. The final Hts of adult patients with CAH were compared to the mid-parental heights (MPH), to the Hts of the same-sex parents, to the Hts of the normal population, and to the Hts of never-treated patients with SVCAH. The accuracy of the first Ht prediction was also evaluated.