Transition of Women with Turner Syndrome from Pediatrics to Adult Health Care: Current Situation and Associated Problems

摘要

Turner syndrome (TS), a chronic childhood disease, requires growth hormone (GH) treatment for short stature in pediatrics and sex hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the adult health-care setting with transition during adolescence managed by gynecologists or endocrinologists (1). However, many women with TS are reported to be receiving inadequate health care. Only 24 of 39 (63%) TS patients received regular follow-up in an Australian study (2), and 13 of 102 were lost to follow-up in a Belgian study (3). Thus, the current management of transition of TS patients seems to be inadequate. This is because there are limited numbers of gynecologists or endocrinologists who are familiar with adult TS, and a reliable management plan for TS during transition has not yet been fully established.