The Growing Standards and Height Increase Speed in Patients with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a common autosomal recessive disorder، resulting from lack of activity in one of the five enzymes which produce cortisol from cholesterol. Treatment of these patients is very difficult and overtreatment or under treatment of them both influence on their growth pattern. Accordingly، we evaluated the growth pattern of these patients during one year. Methods and Materials: We studied 50 patients whom visited in endocrinology department of Imam Reza hospitial، Mashhad، Iran، during one year. We measured height rate، weight rate، and upper segment to lower segment index، body mass index and 17-Hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels regularly. The results showed that with increasing levels of 17- hydroxyprogesterone، the height growth rate of the patients also increases (P<0. 05). In patients with salt-wasting group، there was a potential of height reduction and height standard deviation with advancing of age comparing with other groups (P<0. 05). The average age of the 11-Hydroxilase deficiency patients was higher than the other groups. There was a significant difference between the age at diagnosis and the age that patients were visited regularly. Therefore the specific etiology and appropriate treatment are the main predictors of growth pattern at these patients، and it also requires using all necessary facilities for regular care of these patients، in order to optimally control the disease is felt.