IN OUR EXPERIENCE and that of most investigators, anterior pituitary extracts intended to stimulate growth have thus far been disappointing. It is possible that a new preparation such as that reported by Evans, Simpson and Li1 will prove more satisfactory when given clinical trial. Meanwhile, except for the use of thyroid substance in cases of primary hypothyroidism, the most effective way of increasing the rate of growth, at least in boys, is the use in the prepuberty period of preparations which bring on an artificial puberty with associated sexual development and general somatic growth. The present report is on the use of this approach in 5 cases.
The causes of short stature are numerous and, in addition to hypothroidism, include renal insufficiency, metabolic disorders (such as the celiac syndrome and glycogen storage disease), chronic cardiac disease, diseases of the skeletal system, racial and familial (constitutional) factors and pituitary deficiency.