THE EFFECT OF PROLONGED ADMINISTRATION OF AN ANABOLIC-STEROID (OXANDROLONE) ON GROWTH IN BOYS WITH CONSTITUTIONALLY DELAYED GROWTH AND PUBERTY

Short-term oxandrolone treatment is used to stimulate growth in boys w ith constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). Oxandrolone sti mulates growth, but a beneficial effect on final height has not been e stablished. In our study, we report the effect of long-term treatment (30-57 months) with oxandrolone in 18 boys with CDGP, compared with ni ne puberty-matched? untreated controls (group 1). The oxandrolone-trea ted boys were divided into two groups: four boys who received oxandrol one before onset of puberty (group 2), and 14 boys who started oxandro lone therapy during Tanner stage 2 (group 3). Height standard deviatio n scores for calender age (HSDSCA) between the three groups of patient s at Tanner stage 2 (G2) were not different: -2.86 (SD 0.56) in the co ntrols and -2.60 (SD 0.52) in group 2 and -2.81 (SD 0.59) in group 3. Age at G2 was 15.1 (SD 1.4) years (controls), 14.6 (SD 0.5) years (gro up 2) and 14.0 (SD 0.9) years (group 3). Height velocity in the time s pan from G2 to G5 was more pronounced in the oxandrolone-treated boys: 7.7 (SD 0.5) cm/year in group 2 and 7.7 (SD 1.4) cm/year in group 3 v ersus 5.1 (SD 0.9) cm/year in the controls. Height gain was significan tly increased in the oxandrolone treated groups: 25.8 (SD 3.8) in grou p 2 and 25.2 (SD 3.7) in group 3 versus 19.8 (SD 4.9) in the controls (P < 0.05). Final height did not differ significantly among the three groups: 168.5 (SD 7.0) cm in the controls and 173.0 (SD 4.0) cm in gro up 2 and 167.8 (SD 5.3) cm in group 3. HSDSCA increased during puberty in all three groups. At final height, HSDSCA (calculated at age = 20 years) was -2.01 (SD 1.05), -1.34 (SD 0.59) and -2.12 (SD 0.79) respec tively in groups 1, 2 and 3. An effect of oxandrolone on HSDSCA was no t found. Target height was neither reached by the controls nor by the treated groups. Tempo of pubertal development was not different in the three groups, and Delta BA/Delta CA did not alter after start of oxan drolone treatment in groups 2 and 3.