Adult height in growth hormone deficiency: historical perspective and examples from the national cooperative growth study.

There are few historical data on final or adult heights after the completion of long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy in children with GH deficiency (GHD). Adult height has been defined as that achieved at chronologic ages ranging from 18 to 30 years, at bone ages >/=13 years (girls) and >/=15 years (boys), at growth velocities /=20 years for men and >/=18 years for women was the only criterion, 27% of patients grew >/=5 cm after having reached this age. Adding the requirement of advanced puberty before adult height could be considered to have been attained reduced the proportion of those who later grew >/=5 cm to <10%, but also decreased the number of patients available for analysis. A combination of criteria for adult height (chronologic and bone age >/=16 years for boys and >/=14 years for girls plus advanced puberty plus growth rate of <2 cm per year) left only 1% of patients with later growth of >/=5 cm.