title: Growth, bone maturation and height prediction after three years of therapy with the slow release GnRH-agonist Decapeptyl-Depot in children with central precocious puberty.
abstract: More than 100 patients with central precocious puberty are participating in this international multicenter study using monthly i.m. injections of the slow-release GnRH agonist Decapeptyl-Depot. In 15 patients, Decapeptyl-Depot treatment could be discontinued after 2 years of therapy. Gonadal suppression was promptly reversible in all of them, as shown by prepubertal low gonadotrophin- and sex steroid levels. Of the remaining 90 patients, 40 have been treated for more than 3 years, including 33 girls and 7 boys. Plasma levels of LH, FSH, estradiol and testosterone dropped to the prepubertal range after one month of Decapeptyl-Depot and remained there for the whole period of therapy. At start of therapy, mean chronologic age of these 40 children was 6.6 +/- 1.4 (SD) years, mean bone age 10.2 +/- 1.9 years. Mean predicted adult height increased in the boys from 173.6 +/- 13.8 (SD) cm at start of therapy to 184.6 +/- 17.0 cm after 3 years. Predicted adult height increased in girls from 158.0 +/- 12.2 to 161.0 +/- 7.5 cm. Undue side effects were not seen, long term tolerance was good. It is concluded that Decapeptyl-Depot injected i.m. every 4 weeks suppresses the pituitary-gonadal axis in children with central precocious puberty without clinical or biochemical escapes, and leads to an increase in predicted adult height by more than 3 cm in all boys and in 53% of the girls after three years of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Paediatrics, Universität Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hümmelink
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oostdijk
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Partsch
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Odink
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Drop
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Sippell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D001846:Bone Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone