Principles of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I treatment in children with idiopathic short stature.

Until recently, growth hormone (GH) was the only treatment available to improve growth rate in short, prepubertal children. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is now approved in the United States and the European Union for treatment of short stature in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency, a condition characterized by unresponsiveness to GH in IGF-I-producing tissues. This has increased the focus on the growth response to GH therapy in short children treated according to current recommendations. In particular, children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) may have some degree of GH insensitivity that decreases their response to GH treatment. This minireview discusses data on the response to GH treatment in patients with ISS and recent studies on the use of IGF-I in subgroups of patients with ISS. The rationale for future combination treatment with GH plus IGF-I is also discussed.