Clinical Management, Therapeutic Innovation, and Patient Outcomes in Growth Hormone Deficiency
Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) is an endocrine disorder characterized by the inadequate secretion of growth hormone ($\text{GH}$), also known as somatropin, from the anterior pituitary gland.
The pituitary is often referred to as the "master gland," and GHD can be an isolated deficiency or part of a more generalized hypopituitarism, where other pituitary hormones are also deficient. GHD can be congenital (present at birth, often due to genetic defects or structural central nervous system anomalies) or acquired (developing later in life due to brain tumors like craniopharyngioma, head trauma, radiation therapy, or infection). In many cases, particularly in children, the cause is idiopathic (unknown).
Clinical Manifestations Across the Lifespan
Childhood-Onset GHD
In children, the primary clinical manifestation is growth failure and short stature (height significantly below the fifth percentile for age and sex, with a reduced growth velocity). Unlike many other causes of short stature, children with GHD typically retain normal body proportions and may…