Essentials of growth diagnosis.

There is more to growth than GH. Growth disorders can be approached expeditiously by assessing the relationships among height, weight, BA and height velocity. Undernutrition is indicated by low weight for height; diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and electrolyte disturbances are the major endocrine considerations. Short stature results from intrinsically short, delayed, or attenuated growth patterns. Excessive stature results from intrinsically tall, advanced, or accelerated growth patterns. Each of these patterns causing linear growth abnormalities has a distinct differential diagnosis that variously includes endocrine, metabolic, genetic, and systemic disorders.