IMPE Abstracts

Introduction: The Final height prediction (FHP) is a frequently used tool among pediatric endocrinologists. There are different methods which include height percentile, mean parental height, and bone age, but there is no consensus on clinical application in children with growth and puberty disorders.

Objective: To investigate the clinical utility that Chilean pediatric endocrinologists grant to FHP; the methods used, the perception of accuracy, validity time of the prognosis and their influence on therapeutic decisions in children with growth and puberty disorders.

Materials and Methods: A survey was applied to Chilean pediatric endocrinologists in September 2022, with 35 multiple choice and dichotomous questions. Quantitative analysis of results was performed using frequencies expressed as percentages.

Results: 39 responses were obtained, corresponding to ~60% of the Chilean specialists; 87,1% of them regularly use FHP methods that include bone age in growth abnormalities and puberty. The best rated by them are the Bayley-Pinneau (BP) (35.8%) and BoneXpert (BXP) (33,3%) methods. FHP is considered as priority, for clinical and therapeutic decision-making by 84.6% of those surveyed, for informing the family (76.9%), and for clinical follow-up (71.7%). Mean parental height is used as an adjuvant method in 69%. Bone age is checked in 92.3% according to the Greulich & Pyle Atlas (G&P); 94,8% of them share FHP with patients and their parents and give it a validity time of 1 and 2 years in pubertal (57.8%) and prepubertal (69%) stages, respectively. Participants consider that these methods tend to overpredict final height, both in precocious puberty (BP 41.6% and BXP 45.9%) and delayed puberty (BP 36% and BXP 40,5%), with low percentage of correct FHP (BP 16,6% and BXP 16,2% vs BP 8,3% and BXP 16,2%, respectively). They consider that FHP is better in short stature (BP 36% and BXP 29.7%) and tall stature (BP 41% and BXP 26.4%).

Conclusions: FHP is useful for Chilean endocrinologists in clinical care of children with growth and puberty disorders. Best rated methods are BP and BXP. Height overprediction is most frequently perceived in puberty than in isolated growth disorders. Most of them use FHP to make decisions and report results to the family, although they warn about duration of prediction depending on the pubertal stage. Bone age is still evaluated according to the G&P atlas despite the currently available computerized tools such as BXP, a technique that is still not widely used in our country.