Turner Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Turner Syndrome, including details on symptoms, causes, chromosomes, prognosis.

Growth hormone treatment and left ventricular dimensions in Turner syndrome.

Matura LA, Sachdev V, Bakalov VK, Rosing DR, Bondy CA

Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. maturale@mail.nih.gov

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cardiac dimensions were different in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) who received growth hormone (GH) compared with those who did not receive GH. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed echocardiograms in 86 females with TS divided into GH-treated (n = 67) and untreated (n = 19) groups. The subjects all participated in the National Institutes of Health protocol between 2001 and 2006. RESULTS: The average age was 16.2 years (range, 10 to 25 years), and average duration of GH treatment was 4.4 years (range, 1 to 14 years). The GH-treated group was taller by approximately 7 cm (P = .004), but cardiac dimensions normalized to body surface area (BSA), including septal and posterior wall thickness and left ventricular (LV) mass and internal diameters, did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. The fractional shortening index was similar in the 2 groups. Multiple regression analyses indicated that BSA, but not duration of GH treatment, predicted LV dimensions in girls with TS. CONCLUSIONS: GH treatment of girls with TS increases stature but does not disproportionately affect cardiac dimensions.

Published 22 May 2007 in J Pediatr, 150(6): 587-91.
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