# Children with craniopharyngioma resection had better response to recombinant human growth hormone therapy than those with idiopathic short stature

## TL;DR

Children who had brain tumor surgery responded well to growth hormone therapy with lower doses compared to children with unexplained short stature.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that children with craniopharyngioma require lower rhGH doses for comparable growth outcomes compared to those with idiopathic short stature.

## Key findings

- CP patients achieved similar growth velocity with half the rhGH dose compared to ISS patients.
- CP patients had greater near-adult height despite lower bone age to chronological age ratio.
- IGF-1 levels increased in CP patients but decreased in ISS patients during therapy.

## Abstract

To compare growth response and rhGH dosage requirements between children with craniopharyngioma post-resection (CP group, n=18) and those with idiopathic short stature (ISS group, n=18).

A retrospective analysis (2010–2020) was conducted on pediatric patients who received rhGH therapy. Key parameters compared between CP and ISS groups included: growth velocity (GV), rhGH dose (IU/kg/d), height, height standard deviation score (HtSDS), IGF-1 standard deviation score (IGF-1 SDS), body mass index (BMI), bone age (BA) and bone age to chronological age ratio (BA/CA).

CP patients were older at baseline with lower HtSDS and BA/CA. Both groups had similar annual growth velocities over three years. The CP group achieved comparable height gains with half the rhGH dose of the ISS group. IGF-1 SDS increased in CP but decreased in ISS, normalizing in both. Long-term, CP patients maintained lower BA/CA and achieved higher terminal height.

In this observational cohort, children with CP received approximately half the rhGH dose used in children with ISS, yet achieved comparable growth velocity and greater near-adult height.