Randomised trial of LHRH analogue treatment on final height in girls with onset of puberty aged 7.5–8.5 years

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 81; no. 4; pp. 329 - 332
• Main Authors: Cassio, Alessandra, Cacciari, Emanuele, Balsamo, Antonio, Bal, Milva, Tassinari, Davide
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01.10.1999; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Age; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height - drug effects; Cerebral Palsy; Child; Correlation; early puberty; Female; Females; final height; Follow-Up Studies; Girls; Growth Disorders - drug therapy; Growth hormones; Growth rate; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Height; Hormones. Endocrine system; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; luteinising hormone releasing hormone analogue; Luteolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Measurement Techniques; Medical sciences; Multiple Regression Analysis; Original; Patients; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physical growth; Puberal and climacteric disorders (male and female); Puberty; Puberty, Precocious - complications; Puberty, Precocious - drug therapy; randomised trial; Regression Analysis; Statistical analysis; Studies; Triptorelin Pamoate - therapeutic use; Endocrinopathy; Human; Biometrics; Size; Gonadotropin RH; Precocious puberty; Chemotherapy; Randomization; Treatment; Analog; Triptorelin; Clinical trial; Evolution; Female; Child
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.81.4.329

OBJECTIVE To study the effectiveness of luteinising hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues in improving final height in girls affected by early puberty. PATIENTS Forty six consecutive girls with onset of puberty aged 7.5–8.5 years randomly divided into two groups: one treated with 3.75 mg triptorelin intramuscularly every four weeks (group 1); and the other with no treatment (group 2). RESULTS Mean (SD) chronological age at onset of menarche was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (11.9 (1.0) v 10.8 (0.7) years). However, mean (SD) height at menarche (152.7 (7.2)v 152.5 (5.7) cm) and mean (SD) growth after menarche (4.9 (3.0) v 5.4 (2.2) cm) were similar in both groups. The mean (SD) final height was similar in the two groups (group 1, 158.1 (6.2) cm; group 2, 158.6 (6.0) cm) and not significantly different from target height. Fourteen of 20 patients in group 1 and 12 of 18 patients in group 2 showed final height equal to or higher than target height. Final heights of girls with poor initial height prognosis were significantly lower than those of girls with good prognosis, but in patients with the same initial height prognosis, both groups showed final heights similar and not significantly different from their target heights. CONCLUSIONS LHRH analogue has no apparent effect on final height in subjects with onset of puberty between 7.5 and 8.5 years.