Growth hormone diagnosis

GH Research Society. Consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone (GH) deficiency in childhood and adolescence summary statement of the GH Research Society. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000 85(ll) 3990-3993. 

An excess of insulin can cause hypoglycaemia and the hormones that respond to this condition to restore normal glucose levels are known as the counter-regulatory hormones. They are adrenaline, glucagon, growth hormone and cortisol. An increase in the blood levels of these hormones can sometimes be used to conhrm a diagnosis of hypoglycaemia. 

The short time period in this case makes the tumor less likely to have been induced by growth hormone. It is also unlikely that the growth hormone hastened the growth of a pre-existing tumor the mean survival of the other five patients was 1.6 years from the time of diagnosis and this patient was alive 1.6 years after the diagnosis. 

Despite theoretical concerns, there is no evidence that either intracranial or extracranial malignancy, new or recurrent, is increased in subjects treated with growth hormone (76,78,79). Despite this, certain precautions are still recommended for children who have previously been treated for cancer. The diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency should be clearly established (74) and it is recommended that treatment be delayed for at least 1 year after tumor therapy has been completed (36). 

Blum W, Ranke M, Kietzmann K, Gauggel E, Zeisel HJ, Bierich JR. A specific radioimmunoassay for the growth hormone (GH)-dependent somatomedin binding protein Its use for diagnosis of GH deficiency J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1990 70 1292-8. 

Earll JM, Sparks LL, Forsham PH. Glucose suppression of serum growth hormone in the diagnosis of acromegaly. JAMA 1967 20T.628-30,... 

Preece MA. Making a rational diagnosis of growth-hormone deficiency. J Pediatr 1997 131 S61-S64. 

In 56 patients with craniopharyngiomas, mean age at diagnosis 25 years, who took growth hormone for a mean of 14 years and 70 who did not take growth hormone, the 10-year tumor progression-free survival rate for the entire population was 72% it was 88% in those who took growth hormone compared with 57% in the cortirols [235],... 

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