Stable bone density in adolescents with severe growth hormone deficiency after six months off rhGH.

Abstract Objective Severe growth hormone deficiency causes lean body mass loss in male adolescents and increased fat mass in both sexes. The changes appear after a 6 month GH pause. Aim The aim was to examine bone density and structure changes in adolescents with severe GHD during a 6-month rhGH treatment interruption. Patients and Methods In total, 113 adolescents (20 females) paused rhGH treatment for 6 months at near-final height, and they were retested with arginine-GHRH challenge and basal IGF-1. Severe GHD was diagnosed in 19 individuals (5 females, GH peak Results In severe adolescent GHD (sGHD) patients, trabecular density (mg/cm3) decreased from 214 to 202 (p Conclusion During a 6-month pause of rhGH treatment, the bone structure and density of adolescents with sGHD did not show changes implying harm. Routine retesting of adolescents, including 6 months without GH, is unlikely to be detrimental to the bone.