About us

​At the Department of Growth and Reproduction, clinical work goes hand in hand with research. In the department's outpatient clinic, we take in children from all over Denmark with growth problems and hormonal diseases, and patients with medical diseases in the male reproductive organs, such as infertility and insufficient sex hormone production.

In the research unit, we get inspired by the health problems our patients face, and seek to understand the aetiologies behind diseases linked to growth and reproduction.

We always aim to give patients the best possible treatment, with short or no waiting time at the outpatient clinic and easy access to physicians and nurses.

​​​The department houses: 

  • A DANAK accredited hormone laboratory, which conducts analyses of hormones in the blood 
  • A DANAK accredited cytological/histological laboratory, which studies testicular tissue 
  • A DANAK accredited semen laboratory, which conducts semen analyses
  • A sperm bank, which freezes sperm from patients before radiotherapy or chemotherapy 
  • A DANAK accredited molecular biology laboratory, which conducts genetic studies relevant for the department's expert areas
  • A DANAK accredited chemical analytical laboratory, which analyses chemical substances in for example breast milk, urine and serum​​

​Department of Growth and Reproduction in numbers 

We are:

More than 80 employees in total. These are broken down as follows:
  • 20 Danish and International senior physicians and senior researchers
  • 18 young physicians and researchers
  • 9 medical secretaries and project secretaries
  • 2 heads of accounting
  • 32 laboratory technologists and laboratory technicians
  • 3 nurses
  • 4​ student assistants
  • 1 IT manager

We perform:

  • About 45 original articles/reviews annually in peer-reviewed international journals
  • The department cooperates or has previously cooperated with researchers from more than 90 different national and international research groups.
  • More than 9,000 outpatient visits annually.

 We work in:

  • 8 clinical laboratories
  • 6 laboratory units
  • 15 offices

Conditions and treatments

​At the Department of Growth and Reproduction's outpatient clinic, we see children, adolescents and adult men with the following conditions:

Growth p​​roblems

The department follows about 300 patients with growth problems. These include patients with a congenital growth hormone deficiency and patients with growth hormone deficiency caused by radiation of the brain or brain tumour surgery. In addition, growth hormone treatment has been approved for a number of other patient categories, such as girls with Turner syndrome, short children born SGA (Small for Gestational Age), children who are short due to a chronic kidney disease and children with Prader-Willis syndrome. 

Puberty diso​rders

The department performs diagnostic evaluation and treats girls and boys with precocious puberty (puberty occurring at an unusually young age). In Denmark precocious puberty is traditionally defined by signs of puberty before age 8 years in girls and age 9 years for boys. If the condition is recognized in time, puberty can be curbed medically (with GNRH agonist treatment), which may ease the psychological problems for the child and result in a greater final height.

Differences of Sex Development (DSD)

The department performs diagnostic evaluation and treats patients from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands with differences of sex development (DSD). These include congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and genetic disorders like Klinefelter’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome. ​​

Klinefelter's syndro​​me

The department follows about 150 boys and men with Klinefelter's syndrome. The department has established a Klinefelter's centre, where all patients with Klinefelter's syndrome are offered treatment.

Congenital adrenal hyperp​lasia​

The department follows more than 100 patients from all over Denmark with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH, in Danish known as adrenogenitalt syndrome (AGS)). CAH covers a number of rare congenital diseases, caused by lack of enzymes in the adrenal cortex. Such patients are not able to produce the vital steroid hormone cortisol and in many cases aldosterone. 

Male infe​​rtility

The department has experienced a growing number of men with fertility problems. These men go through a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation programme to find the reason for their infertility.  Among the aetiologies may be obstruction in the sperm duct, lack of spermatogenesis, alterations in genes or chromosomes, or an affected hypothalamus-pituitary-testis hormone axis.  The purpose of examinations is partly to give the men an explanation to their infertility, and partly to find a basis for treatment, if possible.  ​

Sperm ​bank

In the sperm bank, men who are about to undergo treatment that potentially could damage their sperm production permanently can deposit their sperm. This treatment includes various types of radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as some types of arthritis treatment. ​

Management
Anders Juul

Head of Department, Professor, Consultant, 

Section 5064

Phone: 5-5085
Fax: 5-6054

​


Katharina Main
Clinical Head of Research, Consultant 
Section 5064

Phone: 5-5085
Fax: 5-6054​

​​ 



Anna-Maria Andersson​​
PhD, Head of Research
Section 5064

Phone: 5-5085
Fax: 5-6054​

Research

Contact

​

​Department of Growth and Reproduction
Section 5064​​

Entrance 5, 6th floor
Juliane Maries Vej 6
​DK-2100 Copenhagen OE
Denmark


Tel: +45 35 45 50 64 (outpatient clinic)
Tel: +45 35 45 50 85 (management and administration) ​
Fax: +45 35 45 60 54


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