Incidence of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Holy Karbala City

Abstract

Background: Short stature is a major health problem in pediatric age group that needs health assessment to reach the cause. One of the treatable causes of short stature in pediatric is growth hormone deficiency which is either acute or chronic.

Aim of study: To assess the incidence of G.H.D in pediatric patients with short stature in Al-Hassan centre of endocrinology and diabetes in Karbala province.

Results: Incidence of growth hormone deficiency was 1/2500 of total target population with male to female sex predilection 1.3/1.

Conclusion: Relatively higher incidence of growth hormone deficiency comparable with other studies may be partly to include patients from areas outside the province. Due to lack of treatment in their regions and may be partly due to need for more strict criteria in laboratory works like usage of two provocation tests instead of one. With use of priming test in adolescent patients to increase the specificity of the provocation test.