Management of boys with short stature and delayed puberty.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To review the management of boys with short stature and delayed puberty and the testosterone priming protocol.

METHODS:

In 148 boys aged > 14 years seen for height < -2 SDS and constitutional delayed puberty we evaluated growth hormone (GH) secretion and final height (80 boys).

RESULTS:

The GH peak was < 10 microg/l after arginine-insulin tests performed with testosterone heptylate priming in 8/32 (25%) and without in 62/153 (41%), including first and second evaluations. It was low in 7/11 boys given 2 x 100 mg testosterone (14.7 +/- 1.7 microg/l) and in 1/21 given 4 x 100 mg (21.3 +/- 2.0 microg/l, p = 0.04). It was low during sleep in 4/29 (14%) boys, all having basal plasma testosterone below 3.5 nmol/l. The basal insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I concentration was below -2 SDS in 22% of the boys evaluated. Final height was -0.8 +/- 0.1 SDS. It was similar in those with low (n = 9) and normal (n = 71) GH peak, and in those treated (n = 22) or untreated (n = 58) with testosterone. It was over 1 SDS lower than the target height in 20% and than the predicted height at the initial evaluation in 14% of the boys. Pubertal growth was not correlated with the GH peak or plasma IGF-I.

CONCLUSIONS:

The GH peak during the sleep is more frequently normal than the peak after stimulation. The number of testosterone doses influences the quality of priming. The medical problems involved in treating boys with delayed puberty are excluding disease and deciding on testosterone treatment.

• Authors: A C Couto-Silva, C Trivin, L Adan, E Lawson-Body, J C Souberbielle, R Brauner
• Journal: Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM (J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab) Vol. 18 Issue 8 Pg. 807-13 (Aug 2005) ISSN: 0334-018X [Print] Germany
• PMID: 16200848 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Androgens
• Somatomedins
• Human Growth Hormone
• Testosterone

Topics

• Adolescent
• Androgens (therapeutic use)
• Body Height
• Child
• Human Growth Hormone (metabolism)
• Humans
• Male
• Puberty, Delayed (complications, therapy)
• Sleep
• Somatomedins (physiology)
• Testosterone (therapeutic use)