Turner Syndrome: Overview of Medical Problem, Status of theArt and the Proposal of Centralised Multidisciplinary Care in Childhood, Adolescence and in Adulthood
Abstract
Background. Girls and adolescents with Turner syndrome (TS) usually receive intensive medical care in a multidisciplinary team, coordinated by paediatric endocrinologist.
Majority of them are discharged from specialist clinics following the induction of puberty and attainment of final height. Patients with Turner syndrome have a reduced life expectancy, they are known to have multi-system impairments in addition to the short stature and to the absence of sexual development.
Aim of this study is to propos a continuous follow-up by multidisciplinary team of physicians starting in childhood and following the discharge from the paediatric care. Methods and Results.
This paper highlights the medical and psychosocial problems associated with Turner syndrome in childhood, adolescence and in adulthood. Analysis of these problems served as a background to management strategy.
Conclusions. Women with Turner syndrome are at risk of number of medical problems.
Quality of their life and the life expectancy can be improved with increasing awareness to comorbities associated with Turner syndrome. Assisted reproduction technologies has recently offered a chance for pregnancy and delivery of a healthy child also to women with Turner syndrome.
Therefore, long-term follow-up by multidisciplinary team of physicians knowled- geable about these medical problems is necessary. Introduction of a centralised system of systematic multidiscipli- nary approach to patients with Turner syndrome from childhood and adolescence to adulthood seems to be very important.