IMPACT OF DIFFERENT DOSES OF ETHINYL ESTRADIOL ON REDUCTION OF FINAL HEIGHT IN CONSTITUTIONALLY TALL GIRLS

Fifty-two tall girls were treated for constitutionally tall stature wi th different ethinyl oestradiol (EE) dosages. They were divided into t hree different treatment groups: group B (100 mu g EE/day; n = 11); gr oup C (300 mu g; n = 25) acid group D (500 mu g; n = 16) and compared with an untreated group A (n = 21)matched for age, height, bone age (B A) and height prediction. Using the height prediction method TW II, EE treatment reduced final height compared with the untreated girls in a weak dose-dependent manner, 2.3 cm (100 mu g/day), 3.0 cm (300 mu g/d ay), and 3.8 cm (500 mu g/day). Such a dose dependency was not found o n applying the Bayley-Pineau height prediction method (100 mu g/day: 4 .1 cm; 300 mu g/day: 4.2 cm; 500 mu g/day: 4.5 cm). However, there was a striking inverse correlation of the BA at the onset of treatment wi th the height reduction achieved using the TW II method (r: -0.43; P < 0.001). Importantly, girls with a BA below 12 years at the onset of t reatment experienced a height reduction of more than 6 cm. Conclusion The EE dose used in the range of 100-500 mu g/day is not crucial for t he amount of height reduction in tall girls. In general high dose EE t reatment should be given restrictively, and especially so in girls wit h a BA (TW2 RUS-ZH) above 12.0 years.