The effect of growth hormone treatment on craniofacial growth in short stature children

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of growth hormone treatment (GHT) on craniofacial growth in children of short stature. Methods: Nineteen untreated children of short stature were referred from the Pediatric Department, Yeungnam University Hospital as a subject group. All subjects had lateral cephalograms taken before, after 1 year and after 2 years of growth hormone treatment. As a reference group, we selected 19 normal children with paired sampling who matched the subjects' age and sex, from the Department of Orthodontics, Kyungpook National University Hospital. Results: Before GHT, anterior cranial base length and upper posterior facial height, posterior total facial height, mandibular ramus length, and mandibular corpus length were significantly smaller in the reference group. In angular craniofacial measurements, saddle angle and mandibular plane angle were larger. SNA and SNB were smaller in the reference group. After two years of GHT, growth hormone accelerated growth in several craniofacial components. The posterior total facial height, the anterior, posterior cranial base length, and the mandibular ramus length were increased. And the difference in mandibular plane angle and ANB values compared with the reference group was decreased. Conclusions: GHT over 2 years leads to a craniofacial catch-up growth tendency, which is pronounced in interstitial cartilage and condylar cartilage.