Our review of the literature regarding rhGH therapy in children with NS indicates that this therapy improves height velocity, but relatively few controlled clinical trials reporting adult height are available. rhGH treatment does not appear to be associated with adverse effects in these patients, but data on the possible development of malignancy during treatment are somewhat limited.
Occurrence of Cranial Neoplasms in Pediatric Patients with Noonan Syndrome Receiving Growth Hormone: Is Screening with Brain MRI prior to Initiation of Growth Hormone Indicated?
Our case report and literature review underscore the association of NS with CNS tumors, particularly DNET, and call attention to the recommendation that clinicians treating NS patients with GH do so with awareness of the possibility of increased neoplasia risk.
Several studies, despite using small cohorts, have shown a short-term improvement in the height velocity of short children with Noonan syndrome (NS) when treated with recombinant growth hormone (GH).
Therefore, when long-term GH therapy is intended to promote growth in children with NS, it has to be considered in relation to the genotype, the effective promotion of growth and the potentially increased tumor risk.
Recently, more data on final height after long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy has become available that shows its effectiveness in increasing final height for individuals with Noonan syndrome.