National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Laron syndrome


Other Names:
Growth hormone insensitivity syndrome; Pituitary dwarfism II; Growth hormone receptor deficiency; Growth hormone insensitivity syndrome; Pituitary dwarfism II; Growth hormone receptor deficiency; Primary growth hormone resistance; Primary growth hormone insensitivity; Laron dwarfism; Laron type pituitary dwarfism I See More
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Laron syndrome is a condition that occurs when the body is unable to utilize growth hormone. It is primarily characterized by short stature. Other signs and symptoms vary but may include reduced muscle strength and endurance; hypoglycemia in infancy; delayed puberty; short limbs (arms and legs); and obesity. It is often caused by changes (mutations) in the GHR gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Treatment is focused on improving growth and generally includes injections of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).[1][2][3]
Last updated: 9/30/2015
Laron syndrome is a rare condition in which the body is unable to use growth hormone. The primary symptom is short stature. Although affected people are generally close to average size at birth, they experience slow growth from early childhood. If left untreated, adult males with Laron syndrome typically reach a maximum height of about 4.5 feet and adult females may be just over 4 feet tall.[1][3]

Other signs and symptoms associated with the condition vary but may include:[1][2][3]
  • Reduced muscle strength and endurance
  • Hypoglycemia in infancy
  • Delayed puberty
  • Small genitals
  • Thin, fragile hair
  • Dental abnormalities
  • Short limbs (arms and legs)
  • Obesity
  • Distinctive facial features (protruding forehead, a sunken bridge of the nose, and blue sclerae)

People affected by Laron syndrome appear to have a reduced risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.[1][2]
Last updated: 9/29/2015

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

Showing of 34 |
Medical Terms Other Names
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HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal facial shape
Unusual facial appearance
0001999
Aplasia/Hypoplasia involving the nose
Decreased nasal size
Decreased size of nose
[ more ] 		0009924
Delayed eruption of teeth
Delayed eruption
Delayed teeth eruption
Delayed tooth eruption
Eruption, delayed
Late eruption of teeth
Late tooth eruption
[ more ] 		0000684
Delayed skeletal maturation
Delayed bone maturation
Delayed skeletal development
[ more ] 		0002750
High forehead 0000348
Hypoplastic nasal bridge
Decreased size of nasal bridge
Small bridge of nose
Small nasal bridge
[ more ] 		0005281
Microdontia
Decreased width of tooth
0000691
Micrognathia
Little lower jaw
Small jaw
Small lower jaw
[ more ] 		0000347
Reduced number of teeth
Decreased tooth count
0009804
Severe short stature
Dwarfism
Proportionate dwarfism
Short stature, severe
[ more ] 		0003510
Truncal obesity 0001956
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of the elbow
Abnormality of the elbows
0009811
Brachydactyly
Short fingers or toes
0001156
Delayed puberty
Delayed pubertal development
Delayed pubertal growth
Pubertal delay
[ more ] 		0000823
Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar
0001943
Hypoplasia of penis
Underdeveloped penis
0008736
Motor delay 0001270
Short toe
Short toes
Stubby toes
[ more ] 		0001831
Underdeveloped supraorbital ridges
Flattened bony protrusion above eyes
0009891
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Blue sclerae
Whites of eyes are a bluish-gray color
0000592
Depressed nasal ridge
Flat nose
Recessed nasal ridge
[ more ] 		0000457
High pitched voice 0001620
Hypercholesterolemia
Elevated serum cholesterol
Elevated total cholesterol
Increased total cholesterol
[ more ] 		0003124
Hypohidrosis
Decreased ability to sweat
Decreased sweating
Sweating, decreased
[ more ] 		0000966
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ] 		0001249
Osteoarthritis
Degenerative joint disease
0002758
Prematurely aged appearance
Precociously senile appearance
0007495
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormal joint morphology
Abnormal shape of joints
Abnormality of the joints
Anomaly of the joints
[ more ] 		0001367
Abnormality of metabolism/homeostasis
Laboratory abnormality
Metabolism abnormality
[ more ] 		0001939
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Delayed menarche
Delayed start of first period
0012569
Limb undergrowth
limb shortening
Short limb
Short limbs
[ more ] 		0009826
Short long bone
Long bone shortening
0003026
Small face
Short and narrow face
Small facies
[ more ] 		0000274
Showing of 34 |
Last updated: 7/1/2020
Laron syndrome is caused by changes (mutations) in the GHR gene. This gene encodes growth hormone receptor, which is a protein found on the outer membrane of cells throughout the body. Growth hormone receptor is designed to recognize and bind growth hormone, which triggers cellular growth and division. When growth hormone is bound to the growth hormone receptors on liver cells, specifically, insulin-like growth factor I (another important growth-promoting hormone) is produced. Mutations in GHR impair the function of growth hormone receptors which interferes with their ability to bind growth hormone. This disrupts normal growth and development of cells and prevents the production of insulin-like growth factor I which causes the many signs and symptoms of Laron syndrome.[1]
Last updated: 9/29/2015
Most cases of Laron syndrome are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[1] This means that to be affected, a person must have a mutation in both copies of the responsible gene in each cell. The parents of an affected person usually each carry one mutated copy of the gene and are referred to as carriers. Carriers typically do not show signs or symptoms of the condition. When two carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have children, each child has a 25% (1 in 4) risk to have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) risk to be a carrier like each of the parents, and a 25% chance to not have the condition and not be a carrier.

Reports exist of rare families in which Laron syndrome appears to be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.[1] In these cases, a person only needs a change (mutation) in one copy of the responsible gene in each cell. In some cases, an affected person inherits the mutation from an affected parent. Other cases may result from new (de novo) mutations in the gene. These cases occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. An affected person has a 50% chance with each pregnancy of passing along the altered gene to his or her child.
Last updated: 9/30/2015
A diagnosis of Laron syndrome is often suspected based on the presence of characteristic signs and symptoms. Additional testing can then be ordered to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions that cause similar features. This generally includes blood tests to measure the levels of certain hormones that are often abnormal in people with Laron syndrome. For example, affected people may have elevated levels of growth hormone and reduced levels of insulin-like growth factor I. Genetic testing for changes (mutations) in the GHR gene can also be used to confirm a diagnosis in some cases.[3][2]
Last updated: 9/30/2015

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.
There is currently no cure for Laron syndrome. Treatment is primarily focused on improving growth.[4] The only specific treatment available for this condition is subcutaneous injections of insulin-like growth factor 1 (a growth-promoting hormone), often called IGF-1. IGF-1 stimulates linear growth (height) and also improves brain growth and metabolic abnormalities caused by long-term IGF-1 deficiency. It has also been shown to raise blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol, and increase muscle growth.[3] IGF-1 and GH levels should be closely monitored in people undergoing this treatment because overdosage of IGF-I causes a variety of health problems.[5]
Last updated: 9/30/2015

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

  • Mecasermin (Brand name: Increlex®) - Manufactured by Tercica, Inc.
    FDA-approved indication: Long-term treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (Primary IGFD) or with growth hormone (GH) gene deletion who have developed neutralizing antibodies to growth hormone.
    National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
  • Mecasermin rinfabate (Brand name: Iplex®) - Manufactured by Insmed, Inc.
    FDA-approved indication: Treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (Primary IGFD) or with growth hormone (GH) gene deletion who have developed neutralizing antibodies to growth hormone
    National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
The long-term outlook (prognosis) for people with Laron syndrome is generally good. The condition does not appear to affect lifespan and is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.[1][2]
Last updated: 9/30/2015

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
The differential diagnosis should include severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and growth delay due to IGF-I resistance (see this term), as well as secondary IGF-I deficiency mostly due to nutritional problems or chronic pediatric diseases.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Laron syndrome. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Organizations Providing General Support

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Laron syndrome. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Laron syndrome. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • My grandson has the condition. I want to know if there is medication that will result in a normal stature. See answer


  1. Laron syndrome. Genetics Home Reference. April 2015; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/laron-syndrome.
  2. Alan D Rogol, MD, PhD. Growth hormone insensitivity syndromes. UpToDate. August 2015; Accessed 9/29/2015.
  3. Laron Z. Growth hormone insensitivity (Laron syndrome). Rev Endocr Metab Disord. December 2002; 3(4):347-355.
  4. J. Léger. Laron syndrome. Orphanet. November 2009; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=EN&Expert=633. Accessed 11/2/2011.
  5. Laron Z. Insulin-like growth factor-I treatment of children with Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone insensitivity). Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. March 2008; 5(3):766-771.