Abstract
The nation-wide database of growth hormone recipients, founded in 1992, made it possible to estimate the incidence of idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in the Czech child population. The validity of the database compared to an other independent source of data was 91 %.
Data on the general child population were provided by the Institute of Health Information in Prague. For the purpose of this study, idiopathic growth hormone deficiency was defined as a post-stimulation growth hormone level lower than 8 mIU/1 in two standard stimulation tests and absence of signs of a congenital or acquired organic cause of growth hormone deficiency.
The analysis was made in the child population aged 14 - 16 years, where the probability of growth hormone therapy in the case of deficiency is 88 - 97 %. Their number was 43.
Incidence of idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in Czech Republic in children aged 14 - 16 years corrected with regard to the validity of the database, probability of growth hormone therapy, natality and mortality up to the analysed age was 1:10200 (95 % confidence interval: 1:5418 - 1:15574). The male/female ratio was 1.21 (95 % confidence interval: 0.06 - 238).
Idiopathic growth hormone deficiency is an endocrinopathy with medium frequency. Its frequency is comparable e.g. with that of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.