Spontaneous adult height in patients with idiopathic short stature.

This paper is a review of studies investigating adult height achieved by patients with idiopathic short stature. In all of these studies, final height SDS was increased compared with height SDS at presentation, but mean adult height usually fell short of target height. Prediction of adult height was inaccurate, varied with the method used and was imprecise. There was little objective evidence of a negative psychosocial impact of short stature, although patients did perceive the disadvantages of short stature.