LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON TESTICULAR FUNCTION OF HIGH-DOSE TESTOSTERONE TREATMENT FOR EXCESSIVELY TALL STATURE

High-dose testosterone treatment is applied during puberty to reduce t he predicted adult height in excessively tall boys. To date it has rem ained unclear whether this therapy produces any long-term effects on r eproductive functions of the patients. To clarify this question. we pe rformed a follow-up study in 47 tall men, determining seminal and horm onal parameters 10.6 +/- 2.5 years (mean +/- SD) after cessation of th erapy. The tall men treated were compared with 123 normal men attendin g the Institute of Reproductive Medicine as volunteers for various cli nical studies. Clinical examination revealed a significantly higher pr evalence of varicoceles and history of maldescended testes in the test osterone-treated tall men compared with the controls. Semen analysis r evealed significantly lower progressive motility in the tall men compa red with the normal men (49.2 +/- 13.4 vs. 54.3 +/- 12.8%). A nonsigni ficant tendency towards lower sperm concentration (43.8 +/- 35.4 us. 5 7.8 +/- 45.6 mL/mL), lower total sperm count (184.4 +/- 158.0 us. 225. 4 +/- 277.5 mL/ejaculate), and reduced normal sperm morphology (27.6 /- 12.5 us. 30.9 +/- 13.1%) was evident in the testosterone-treated ta ll men. Although there was no difference in testicular volume and FSH between the groups, testosterone was lower in the testosterone-treated tall men (19.9 +/- 7.4 us. 23.9 +/- 7.0 nmol/L). Statistical analysis of the subgroups of testosterone-treated tall men and control men wit hout varicocele and cryptorchidism revealed no differences in any ejac ulate parameter. The small difference in semen variables may be explai ned by a higher prevalence of varicocele and maldescended testes in th e testosterone-treated tall men.