Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 39 EP112 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.39.EP112

BSPED2015 e-Posters Pituitary and growth (18 abstracts)

Skeletal disproportion in Turner syndrome

L McVey 1 , A Fletcher 1 , M D Donaldson 2 , S C Wong 1 & A Mason 1


1Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, Royal Hospital for Children, Southern Glasgow University Hospital, Glasgow, UK; 2Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, UK.


Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate sitting height (SH) and leg length (LL) in girls with Turner syndrome.

Methods: Retrospective study of SH and LL SDS, using SH–LL SDS (~0 in a proportionate child) as a measure of disproportion in 76 girls with Turner syndrome. Eligible girls were aged at least 4 years, had not started recombinant GH, and had no other chronic disease. 40 girls with measurements prior to pubertal induction and at adult height (AH) were assessed. Results as mean±S.E.M.

Results: Of the 76 girls (9.3±0.38 years), Ht SDS was −2.83±0.10 with disproportionately shorter legs (LL SDS −3.65±0.13) compared to their spine (SH SDS −1.64±0.10) (P<0.0001). Thirty-five girls (46.1%) had SH–LL SDS >+2.0. Age was negatively associated with SH SDS (r=−0.41, P<0.0001) and SH–LL SDS (r=−0.20, P=0.08) but was not associated with Ht SDS or LL SDS. Ht SDS, SH SDS, LL SDS, and SH SDS–LL SDS did not differ between girls with 45X (n=27) and those with other karyotype (n=49).

Before pubertal inductionAt adult heightP value
Age (years)13.0±0.2517.5±0.23<0.0001
Ht SDS−2.29±0.16−1.86±0.17<0.0001
SH SDS−1.42±0.16−1.05±0.120.001
LL SDS−2.90±0.17−2.02±0.19<0.0001
SH–LL SDS1.48±0.170.97±0.160.002

Conclusion: Our data suggests that an assessment of skeletal disproportion is important in the evaluation of a short girl. The diagnosis of TS may be more likely in a short girl with significantly lower leg length compared to sitting height, although this needs to be validated in larger group of girls with short stature. At adult height, with current oestrogen replacement regime, disproportion was still present but less pronounced. There is a need to evaluate treatment factors and their impact on disproportion in girls with TS, especially oestrogen replacement.

Volume 39

43rd Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes 

Browse other volumes

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.

My recently viewed abstracts