Short-term testosterone treatment at bone age of 12 to 13 years does not reduce adult height in boys with constitutional delay of growth and adolescence.

Abstract

Growth data and adult height from 22 untreated patients with constitutional delay of growth and adolescence (group 1) were compared retrospectively with those of 19 patients, who had received long-acting testosterone esters (100 to 250 mg per month, mean total dosage 1029 mg/m2) during 2 months to 3.25 years (mean duration 8.5 months, group 2). Age (group 1 15.4 +/- 1.2, group 2 16.2 +/- 1.4 years), bone age (group 1 12.6 +/- 1.3, group 2 13.1 +/- 1.2 years) at first examination (group 1) or start of treatment (group 2), and adult height (172.8 +/- 7.5 cm group 1, 176.8 +/- 8.0 cm group 2) were not significantly different. In group 2, there was no negative correlation between the total testosterone dose and adult height, and the latter corresponded to predicted height in the same way as in the untreated patients. It is concluded that short-term treatment with long-acting testosterone esters (100 to 250 mg per month during 6 months, starting at a bone age of about 12.5 years), which has positive psychosocial effects, does not have negative somatic effects and does not reduce adult height in these patients.