Cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited, chronic progressive disease, is considered a cause of failure to thrive and retarded growth. In fact, special growth curves have been constructed for patients with CF.1,2 However, most patients with CF who survive to adulthood achieve stature in the normal range.3 Thus, when severe growth retardation is observed in a patient with CF, it should not be attributed to CF alone and other etiologies should be sought. We have described two patients with CF who have isolated human growth hormone (HGH) deficiency.
Report of Cases.—Case 1.—A 14-year, 8-month-old boy was found to have elevated sweat sodium and chloride concentrations at age 2 years, 9 months during an evaluation for short stature. However, at that time, he had no demonstrable respiratory or gastrointestinal disease, and other than his size and a submucosal cleft palate, physical examination showed no abnormalities. By age 5