Final height (FH) in 77 patients af fected by constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) variously treated

The present study retrospectively collected data of 77 pts (54 m, 23 f) with
CDGP followed in 9 Italian centres. Despite similar characteristics at diagnosis,
the pts underwent different diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. Inclusion
criteria: all pts had at diagnosis short stature and idiopathic delayed puberty.
At diagnosis age was 13.8±1.0 yrs in males, height (Ht) sds -2.5±0.6. In females age 13.1±0.9 yrs and Ht sds -2.5±0.6. Protocols. 42 pts were tested
for GHD and the 32 (25 m, 7 f) with deficient secretion received GH therapy for at least 2yrs. The 11 non GHD pts were given either no treatment (3 m, 3
f) or testo. depot for 3-12 months (5 m). The 35 pts deliberately not tested for
GHD received either no treatment (15 m, 13 f) or testo. (7 m).
In males FH (° p=0.004) and ΔFH-target Ht sds (°p=0.05) were higher in the
GH treated group than the testo treated group. In females there were no significant
differences with tendentially better results in the untreated group.
In males 70.8% of the GH treated and 70.6% of the untreated group reached a
FH above target Ht vs 18.2% of the testo. treated group (p=0.007). In females
1/7 in the GH treated vs 10/16 in the untreated group reached a FH above
target Ht (p=0.04). In conclusion the management of pts with CDGP are not
uniform among Pediatric Endocrinologists. In males a non significant better
result vs untreated patients was obtained in the patients treated with GH after
a diagnosis of GHD, while testosterone treated patients reached a significantly
worse result. In females GH therapy did not affect the final result.