Tics and shorter stature: should we be looking for an association?

Background: Tic disorders have commonly occurring and well recognized comorbidities including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Shorter stature is not generally appreciated as an associated feature.

Methods: Case reports and a literature review.

Results: We describe four recently encountered patients with tics and shorter stature. The literature suggests that in addition to OCD and ADHD, shorter stature may also commonly accompany tic disorders. A variety of neuroendocrine mechanisms have been proposed.

Discussion: The potential associations between shorter stature and tic disorders and the common comorbidities OCD and ADHD deserve more attention. More research is needed to establish the strength of these associations and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms.