[Long-term fate of pituitary dwarfs treated with growth hormone]

Abstract

A questionnaire having been mailed to 50 hypopituitary patients aged 18 to 36 years (m 21.7 +/- 3.4) previously treated with human growth hormone for at least 3 years, 44 answers have been received. The final height is 2.1 +/- 0.9 standard deviations below the average. However 57% of the patients consider it is sufficient. The smallness is felt as a handicap by 20% only of these adults, though 88% had suffered for it during their adolescence. The treatment is retrospectively considered as useful and acceptable by 68%, heavy but useful by 25%, heavy and useless by 7%, without correlation with the results. Only 41% are satisfied with their school achievements. However, more than two thirds of patients had severe school difficulties at the time of onset of the treatment. Actually 75% of the patients are professionally qualified, among whom 36% have achieved high school, and most have an educational level similar to that of their parents or even higher. But 41% only have an employment, 27% are still students and 32% are unemployed. The way of life of the young hypopituitary adults is severely affected: 6 only are married or living with a mate, 11 only write they have occasional sexual experiences, 16 remain completely alone. In contrast, leisure activities are good in more than 90%. A score taking all these data into consideration to evaluate their way of life shows, among the 43 complete answers to the questionnaire, 16% with excellent results, 49% with a rather good social status and 35% with poor final result.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)