Comparison of Commonly Used Methods to Predict the Final Height in Constitutional Tall Stature

Anthropometric growth trajectories of children presenting with presumptive pulmonary TB

BACKGROUND

This study assessed growth trajectories in children presenting with presumptive pulmonary TB (PTB).

METHODS

This sub-study of the Umoya TB diagnostic study was conducted in South Africa from November 2017 until November 2021. Children (0-13 years) with presumptive PTB were recruited from and followed up for 12 months. Anthropometric measurements of children with TB, symptomatic controls (TB excluded), and healthy controls were taken at baseline and follow-up (2, 8, 16, 24 and 52 weeks). Changes in weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) and body mass index for age (BAZ) over time were assessed using multivariable mixed-effect linear regression adjusted for confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 372 children included in the analyses (median age: 2 years, IQR 1-4), 153 children had TB, 168 were symptomatic and 51 were healthy controls. Median WAZ was similar between groups; however, more children with TB were underweight than symptomatic and healthy controls. WAZ increased over time for children with TB. Median HAZ of children with TB (-1.34, IQR -2.17 to -0.21) was lower compared to symptomatic (-1.06, IQR -1.90 to -0.10) and healthy controls (-0.74, IQR -1.26 to -0.03; P = 0.0037). There was no significant change over time for HAZ.

CONCLUSION

To improve the long-term outcomes of TB and other illnesses, the overall nutrition of children needs to be improved.

Tall stature and gigantism in adult patients with acromegaly

OBJECTIVES

Increased height in patients with acromegaly could be a manifestation of growth hormone (GH) excess before epiphysis closure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the height of adult patients with GH excess related to mid-parental height (MPH) and population mean and to find whether taller patients with acromegaly come from tall families.

METHODS

This is a single-centre, observational study involving 135 consecutive patients with acromegaly diagnosed as adults and no family history of GH excess. We established three categories for height for patients with acromegaly: normal stature, tall stature (TS, height above the 97th percentile (1.88 standard deviations (SD)) to <3 SD for gender- and country-specific data or as a height which was greater than 1.5 SD but less than 2 SD above the MPH) and gigantism (height which was greater than 3 SD) above the gender- and country-specific mean or greater than 2 SD above MPH).

RESULTS

Thirteen percent (17/135) of patients (53% females) met the criteria for gigantism, 10% (14/135) fulfilled the criteria for TS (57% females). Parents and adult siblings were not taller than the population mean.

CONCLUSION

In a group of 135 consecutive adult patients with acromegaly, 23% had increased height based on country-specific and MPH data: 13% presented with gigantism while 10% had TS. The frequency of gigantism and TS in patients diagnosed with GH excess as adults is not higher in males than in females. Patients with acromegaly come from normal-stature families.