Reversible growth hormone deficiency and delayed puberty triggered by a stressful experience in a young adult.

Growth retardation and delayed puberty developed in a young man after emotional trauma at age 12 years, three months. He had an eating disorder, was profoundly malnourished for several months, and then resumed eating spontaneously. Deficient secretion of growth hormone was documented during multiple arginine-insulin tolerance tests, and gonadotropin levels were low. These hormonal deficits persisted for many years in spite of good nutrition and lack of abuse, a course inconsistent with psychosocial dwarfism or effects of malnutrition per se. Later the patient spontaneously achieved normal height and secondary sexual characteristics. Apparently, psychic trauma induced a deranged hormonal state that persisted for several years.