Background. Patients with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency (17 OHD) usually present with tall stature and eunuchoid features, rather than growth retardation. However, unlike the classic form of the disease, short stature due to a lack of pubertal growth spurt and sex hormone deficiency was present in our four cases. We wanted to emphasize that short stature might be the cause of first presentation in patients with 17 OHD.

Cases. We report five patients of Kurdish origin with 17 OHD, four of whom had short stature; two presented because of short stature and two were detected as having short stature. The external genitalia had a female appearance and was prepubertal in all cases. Hypertension was also detected in four of the patients. Serum biochemical and hormonal analyses were performed for each patient. Laboratory data suggesting severe growth hormone (GH) deficiency were obtained from one patient, while the other had a familial history suggesting constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). Whole exome sequence analysis of the CYP17A1 gene was performed on all patients. STR fragment analysis and multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis was also performed to detect mutations associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in the CYP17A1 gene. No mutation was detected in the whole exome sequence analysis of the CYP17A1 gene in all five patients, although wide deletions were identified in the 1st-6th exons of this gene at MLPA analysis.

Conclusions. Patients with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency can present with short stature because they have no pubertal growth spurt during adolescence. Therefore, 17 OHD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with delayed puberty and short stature.

Keywords: 17α-Hydroxylase deficiency, MLPA analysis, plasma CYP17A1 gene, short stature