Diabetic ketoacidosis secondary to growth hormone treatment in a boy with Prader-Willi syndrome and steatohepatitis

Abstract

A 13 year-old boy with Prader-Willi syndrome and steatohepatitis presented with diabetic ketoacidosis 4 weeks after the initiation of growth hormone (GH) treatment. He did not have signs or symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) before the initiation of GH treatment. Hyperglycemia resolved 2 months after discontinuation of GH. He redeveloped DM2 6 months later associated with excessive weight gain. Diabetic ketoacidosis as a rare complication of GH therapy emphasizes the importance of screening for carbohydrate intolerance before and during GH treatment in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. Steatohepatitis may be the only manifestation of insulin resistance and warrants further evaluation.