PURPOSE: Growth hormone (GH) has multiple beneficial effects in addition to its promotion of linear growth. Therefore adults with GH deficiency (GHD) have abnormal body composition, altered lipid metabolism, increased cardiovascular disease, and decreased bone mineral density (BMD). We evaluated the effect of GH therapy on BMD in young adults with childhood-onset GHD. METHODS: 17 childhood-onset GHD adults (10 male, 7 female, mean age 24.5+/-5.5 yr) with or without continuous GH treatment after final height were studied. All subjects divided two groups; GH-treated group (n=6) and GH-untreated group (n=11). BMD in lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The mean serum level of IGF-I concentration in the GH-untreated group was lower than in the GH-treated group (88.4+/-55.9 ng/mL vs. 358.7+/-196.8 ng/mL, P<0.05). The BMD of lumbar spine in the GH-treated group and GH-untreated group was 1.02+/-0.13 g/cm2 and 0.82+/-0.09 g/cm2 and the BMD of femur was 1.15+/-0.14 g/cm2 and 0.82+/-0.10 g/cm2 respectively. The BMD of the GH-treated group was significantly higher than the GH-untreated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings support the need of continuous GH treatment after completion of growth and careful evaluation of BMD in adult patients with childhood-onset GHD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Body Composition ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Femur ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; Spine ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical factors that contribute to femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy. METHODS: From March 1993 to March 2000, retrospective study on 17 cases of femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy was performed. Sixty eight patients who had normal neurologic finding on the lower extremities after the same operation were used as a control group. RESULTS: The incidence of femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy was 1.67%. Age, body weight, parity and type of skin incision were significantly different between study and control group. The mean age of the study group was 38.1+6.1 years and that of the control group was 43.2+/-8.9 years(p<0.05). The mean body weight of the study group was 52.9 6.4kg, while that of the control group was 57.8+/-7.4kg(p<0.05). The mean parity of the study group was 1.9+/-0.7 as opposed to 2.6+/-1.3 for the control group(p<0.05). Pfannenstiel`s incision was performed in 13 cases(76.5%) in the study group as opposed to 34 cases(50%) in the control group(p<0.05). There were no correlation between these two groups with respect to patient height, operative time, transfusion and change in hemoglobin level. In the study group, 13 cases(76.5%) with femoral neuropathy on the left side were found, 3 cases(17.6%) on the right side and 1 case(5.9%) on both side. Left side femoral neuropathy was more common than the right(p<0.05). Spontaneous recovery occurred in 16 cases of the study group within 4 months and, although residual symptoms were noted in the remaining 1 case, no serious sequelae have been observed. CONCLUSION: It was suggested that pelvic retractor compresses the femoral nerve during the abdominal hysterectomy. The patients age, body weight, parity and a type of skin incision could be contributing factors to femoral neuropathy.
Body Weight ; Female ; Femoral Nerve ; Femoral Neuropathy* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Operative Time ; Parity ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin