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Treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole during adolescence increases near‐final height in boys with constitutional delay of puberty
Author(s) -
Hero Matti,
Wickman Sanna,
Dunkel Leo
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2006.02499.x
Subject(s) - letrozole , medicine , endocrinology , aromatase inhibitor , placebo , testosterone (patch) , aromatase , alternative medicine , pathology , cancer , breast cancer
Summary Objective We investigated whether inhibition of oestrogen biosynthesis with the aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, during adolescence improves near‐final height in boys with constitutional delay of puberty. Patients and methods Seventeen boys with constitutional delay of puberty were randomized to receive testosterone (T) enanthate (1 mg/kg i.m.) every 4 weeks for 6 months in combination with placebo (Pl, n = 8), or the aromatase inhibitor letrozole (Lz, 2·5 mg/day orally) ( n = 9), for 12 months. After treatment, patients were followed up until near‐final height. Height discrepancy was calculated as near‐final height minus mid‐parental target height. Measurements The primary end point was the difference in near‐final height between the groups treated either with T + Pl or T + Lz. Secondarily, height discrepancy and gain in height standard deviation score (SDS) were analysed in both groups. Results Boys treated with T + Lz reached a higher mean near‐final height than did boys on T + Pl (175·8 vs. 169·1 cm, respectively, P = 0·04). In T + Lz‐treated boys, mean near‐final height did not differ from their mid‐parental target height (175·8 vs. 177·1 cm, P = 0·38), whereas in T + Pl‐treated boys, mean near‐final height was lower than mid‐parental target height (169·1 vs. 173·9 cm, P = 0·007). T + Lz‐treated boys had a greater increment in height SDS over the pretreatment height SDS than T + Pl‐treated boys (+1·4 SDS vs. +0·8 SDS, P = 0·03). Conclusions Our findings indicate that in adolescent boys an increase in adult height can be attained by use of aromatase inhibitors.