Final height of patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation for hematological disorders during childhood: A study by the working party for late effects-EBMT

Few data are available on the long-term effect of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on growth. This study examines those factors that play a role in the final height outcome of patients who underwent BMT during childhood. Data on 181 of 230 patients with aplastic anemia, leukemias, and lymphomas who had BMT before puberty (mean age, 9.8 ± 2.6 years) and who had reached their final height were analyzed. An overall decrease in final height standard deviation score (SDS) value was found compared with the height at BMT (P < 10⁷) and with the genetic height (P < 10⁷). Girls did better than boys, and the younger in age the person was at time of BMT, the greater the loss in height. Previous cranial irradiation + single-dose total body irradiation (TBI) caused the greatest negative effect on final height achievement (P < 10⁴). Fractionation of TBI reduces this effect significantly and conditioning with busulfan and cyclophosphamide seems to eliminate it. The type of transplantation, graft-versus-host disease, growth hormone, or steroid treatment did not influence final height. Irradiation, male gender and young age at BMT were found to be major factors for long- term height loss. Nevertheless, the majority of patients (140/181) have reached adult height within the normal range of the general population.