Transient beneficial effect of GH replacement therapy and topical GH application on skin ulcers in a boy with prolidase deficiency

A diagnostic examination for short stature in a boy with chronic ulcers of the feet due to prolidase deficiency, a rare disorder associated with intractable ulcers of the skin, led to the diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Replacement treatment with r-hGH associated with the topical application of a GH-containing ointment when the boy was 13 years old resulted in complete but transitory heating of the ulcers, which can probably be attributed to the growth-promoting effects of GH on dermal connective tissue.