RESUMO
Short stature is the leading cause of consultation in Pediatric Endocrinology. Decreased growth velocity and abnormally short height are characteristic of several different nosologic entities. Some are well characterized, while others correspond to what is known as idiopathic short stature (ISS). ISS includes children who grow less than 2 SD of the mean height values corresponding to their peers of similar age and the same sex, in whom the known causes of short stature have been ruled out. The diagnosis of ISS does not include children who only present a constitutional delay in growth and development. Several clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of growth hormone (rhGH) treatment in achieving catch-up growth in these children. Therefore, ISS should be kept in mind in the diagnosis of patients with short stature and abnormal growth patterns, who may benefit from rhGH treatment.
