Final height of patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia

The management of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) remains a challenge, especially with regard to their growth potential. We aimed to determine the correlation of the final height of Turkish children with classical CAH to their genetic height potential and to determine the effect of hydrocortisone replacement therapy on the final height. A total of 24 CAH (16 simple virilizing and 8 salt-wasting form) were included in this retrospective longitudinal study. The final height (FH), final height standard deviation score (FHSDS), target height (TH), target height standard deviation score (THSDS), corrected height for target height (CHSDS), weight, and body mass index (BMI) were calculated for all patients. We evaluated the adult height taking into consideration the correlation with the genetic height potential and the country standards. The average follow-up time was 14.2+/-3.1 years and the average daily hydrocortisone dose was 19.7+/-2.9 mg/m(2). The mean FH and FHSDS were 152.2+/-7.2 cm and -1.0+/-1.1 SD, respectively, in females and 163.1+/-6.6 cm and -1.2+/-1.0 SD, respectively, in males. The CHSDS was found to be -0.73+/-0.9 SD. FH was below the TH in 79.1% of our cases. In 20.8% of our patients, FH was less than the third percentile for the standard height for our country. Interestingly, the FH showed no correlation with the dosage of hydrocortisone. Thirteen of our cases (54.2%) reaching FH were obese/overweight. A positive correlation was detected between hydrocortisone treatment and the BMI. The observations that 79.1% of our classical CAH cases receiving an average daily hydrocortisone dose of 19.7+/-2.9 mg/m(2) ended up with an adult height below the TH and that 54.2% of the cases were overweight/obese lead us to believe that we should be using the lowest possible dose for treatment.