Growth hormone treatment in hypopituitary dwarfs: longitudinal psychological effects.

This is one of a series of studies on the psychological effects of medically induced growth in a group of hypopituitary dwarfs treated with Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Before treatment these dwarfs were found to be psychologically immature and hypoactive, without any manifestation of aggressive drives, and had an underlying low self-esteem when compared with the normal population. When compared with a matched group with constitutional growth delay the hypopituitary patients were found to use denial, whereas the control group used well-organized compensatory mechanisms (9). Immaturity was found in both groups. When the hypopituitary dwarfs reached adolescence they lacked the core attributes of masculinity or femininity and manifested some ambiguity or even inversion in their choice of gender role (10). This report deals with their psychological evolution in relation to physical growth.