[Dystrophy caused by upper airway obstruction].

We describe three infants whose main symptoms were poor weight gain, delayed motor development and recurrent respiratory infections. Obstructive sleep apnea was diagnosed, and all three improved after adenotomy or adenotonsillectomy. Obstructive sleep apnea is an important differential diagnosis in infants showing retarded development and failure to thrive.

Long-term treatment with glucocorticoids/ACTH in asthmatic children. III. Effects on growth and adult height.

The effect on growth of long-term treatment with prednisolone and/or ACTH (tetracosactrin) depot preparation was studied in 40 children with severe bronchial asthma. Height velocity was subnormal before treatment. During treatment the group of 17 children primarily treated with ACTH showed a moderate increase in mean velocity.

Long-term treatment with corticosteroids/ACTH in asthmatic children. IV. Skeletal maturation.

Skeletal maturation in severe bronchial asthma was studied in 15 children during and after treatment with depot tetracosactrin and in 6 children during treatment with prednisolone. Attained skeletal maturity before treatment was below the reference mean in the majority of children. Skeletal maturation was enhanced during treatment with depot tetracosactrin, which led to more advanced attained skeletal maturity at withdrawal than at start of treatment.

Long-term treatment with corticosteroids/ACTH in asthmatic children. II. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function was studied in 23 children with severe bronchial asthma during and after long-term treatment with prednisolone and/or ACTH1-24 depot tetracosactrin) by means of ACTH stimulation test and insulin tolerance test. In the 14 children primarily treated with depot tetracosactrin, the cortisol levels in insulin tests were within normal limits both during and after treatment. An enhanced response to ACTH stimulation was found during the treatment period.

Long-term treatment with corticosteroids and ACTH in asthmatic children. I. A pulmonary function study with re-investigation after 5 years.

Twenty-one children aged 6-17 years with severe bronchial asthma and on long-term treatment with corticosteroids and/or ACTH, were studied when they were as symptom-free as possible. They were found to have increased lung volumes and hyperinflation with a high end-expiratory level. The forced expiratory 1-s volume (FEV1) was within +/- 2 SD for healthy children, but the FEV% was significantly decreased, as a sign of sub-clinical bronchial obstruction.