Height outcome of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

Objective:To retrospectively investigate the height outcome of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH)due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency(21-OHD).Methods:The 135 CAH patients with 21-OHD diagnosed in our hospital from Jan 1980 to Oct 2006 were retrospectively analyzed.The investigated parameters included final height(FH),FH standard deviation score(FH SDS),target height SDS(TH SDS),difference between TH and FH(TH-FH),FH SDS-TH SDS,the age of onset of sexual development,and the difference between bone age and chronological age(BA-CA)when patients got the FH.Results:Among the 135 patients,female/male=108/27.Mean FH was(156.8±5.4)cm(n=14)and(150.8±6.8)cm(n=76)for males and females,respectively.Mean FH SDS was(-0.6±0.8)(n=13)and(0.2±1.2)(n=54)for males and females,respectively.Sexual development began at(5.2±1.7)years old(y/o)(n=13)and(7.9±3.2)y/o(n=43)in males and females,respectively.Conclusions:The FH of CAH patients with 21-OHD was lower than that of the normal range.Effect of the disease on the height growth in male patients was more severe than that in females.All patients began sexual development much earlier than the normal age-matched group.Male patients began their sexual development even earlier.