OBJECTIVE: To evaluate growth and body composition of patients with the salt wasting form of classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency and to compare them with healthy children. METHODS: Twenty-one prepubertal patients (eight boys and 13 girls) between 2.1 and 10.2 years and 67 prepubertal healthy controls (36 boys and 31 girls) between 1.2 and 11.7 years were included. Weight, height, upper-arm circumference, skinfolds, body composition determined by bioimpedance, and bone age were measured. The following data were obtained from the medical records: parents' height, serum levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and Δ4-androstenedione, prescribed hydrocortisone doses, weight and length at birth, in the beginning of the treatment, and at 2 years. RESULTS: Patients had lower weight and length z scores at the first appointment compared with the same data at birth, showing recovery after the beginning of the treatment without advanced bone age. Mean height z score was higher in controls (0.28±0.86) than in patients (-0.61±0.99, p < 0.001); this difference disappeared when the patients' height was adjusted to their bone age (0.33±1.68, p = 0.912). Patients had higher body mass index (p < 0.001), fat mass (p < 0.001), and fat mass index (p < 0.001) than controls. There was no difference in the skinfolds between the two groups (p = 0.157). CONCLUSIONS: Patients had growth recovery with mean height similar to the general population; however, they had higher body fat, which seems to be visceral, since there was no difference between the skinfolds of both groups.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia; adrenal; body composition; growth; child
