ESPE Abstracts (2018) 89 P-P3-381

aCoimbra Pediatric Hospital, CHUC, Coimbra, Portugal; bPediatric Service, Leiria Hospital, Leiria, Portugal; cPediatric Service, Vila Real Hospital, Vila Real, Portugal; dEndocrinology Service, CHUC, Coimbra, Portugal


Introduction: Hypothyroidism is a frequent endocrinopathy in pediatric age. The most common manifestation in children is growth delay with decreased height velocity. Symptoms can be insidious and, if not identified ant treated, result in short stature.

Aim: To evaluate stature catch-up after replacement therapy in children with primary acquired hypothyroidism.

Methods: Retrospective study of all children with primary acquired hypothyroidism followed at our tertiary pediatric hospital from 1998 to 2017 and presenting with growth delay. Statistical analysis: SPSS22®.

Results: There were 14 patients (71% females) with mean age at diagnosis of 10±3.5 years and mean follow-up duration of 4±2 years. Mean family target height (FTH) was 162.3±8.4 cm (−0.9±0.79 sds). At the end of follow-up there was a mean gain of 22.7 cm, corresponding to a total catch-up of +0.90±0.56 sds (P<0.001). This gain was directly correlated with duration of levothyroxine replacement (Pearson 0.9, P<0,001). Statural gain by year was de +0.48±0.44 sds (P=0.001), 0.33±0.42 sds (P=0.02) e 0.06±0.17 sds (P=0.263) in the first, second and third years, respectively. Recovery of stature sds occurred by the third year with no statistical difference between final stature sds and FTH sds (+0.08±0.98, P=0.760).

Conclusions: Replacement therapy with levothyroxine had a significant positive impact on stature gain, allowing children to catch-up their genetic potential.

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