I. Bergada et C. Bergada, LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH LOW-DOSE TESTOSTERONE IN CONSTITUTIONAL DELAY OF GROWTH AND PUBERTY - EFFECT ON BONE-AGE MATURATION AND PUBERTAL PROGRESSION, Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism, 8(2), 1995, pp. 117-122
We compared the effects of long term low dose treatment with testoster
one on pubertal growth and sexual development in boys with constitutio
nal delay of growth and puberty (CDGP), We treated 24 boys with intram
uscular monthly injections with low dose testosterone enanthate (33-50
mg) for 20 months, at a chronological age of 14.5 +/- 1.0 years and S
DS height of -3.31 and compared their response to a group of 14 contro
l boys. Treated patients showed an earlier and significant increase in
height velocity compared to controls, 10.1 vs 4.0 cm/year, while the
latter group showed their growth spurt twelve months later, Both group
s showed an initial acceleration in bone age without impairment of pre
dicted adult height. During the first 12 months of treatment the incre
ment of testicular volume in the treated patients was slightly slower
than controls; however the earlier the puberty, the slower the testicu
lar increment compared to controls. We conclude that treatment of boys
with constitutional delay of growth with low dose testosterone is eff
ective in improving their height velocity without impairment of predic
ted final height. Progression of testicular volume during treatment in
some patients is more delayed; however, after treatment it increased
normally.