FINAL HEIGHT IN SEXUALLY PRECOCIOUS GIRLS AFTER THERAPY WITH AN INTRANASAL ANALOG OF GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE (BUSERELIN)

Twenty-two girls affected by sexual precocity with impaired final heig ht prognosis were followed until they achieved final height. Twelve of them were treated with an intranasal (D-Ser(6))-gonadotrophin-releasi ng hormone (GnRH) analogue(buserelin) administered at a mean dose of 2 5 mu g/kg/day (range 20-32) for a mean period of 14 months (range 8-18 ). Ten girls refused treatment. Mean final height of the treated girls was 157.3 +/- 8.2 cm, significantly (p = 0.03) higher than the 149.7 +/- 5.5 cm of untreated patients. Treated girls surpassed midparental height (+1.7 cm) while untreated girls reached the lower part of targe t zone (-3.5 cm). Our data suggest that intranasal buserelin treatment preserves final height in girls with sexual precocity and initially i mpaired height prognosis.