Abstract
Estrogens locally generated from androgen precursors due to the action of aromatase play a main role in epiphyseal cartilage fusion. Treatment with an aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole, 1 mg/day for 3 yr) in a boy previously operated on for a hamartoma causing precocious puberty and presenting with advanced bone maturation and nearly fused epiphyseal cartilages, slowed cartilage fusion consenting a higher final stature than expected (164.4 cm vs 158.4 cm). It is suggested that treatment with aromatase inhibitors, alone or in combination with rh-GH, may also be useful in children with constitutional short stature in order to delay epiphyseal closure and improve the final height.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Grumbach M.M., Auchus R.J. Estrogen: Consequences and implications of human mutations in synthesis and action. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 1999, 84: 4677–4694.
Couse J.F., Korach K.S. Estrogen receptor null mice: what have we learned and where will they lead uš Endocr. Rev. 1999, 20: 358–4I7.
Fisher C.R., Graves K.H., Parlow A.F., Simpson E.R. Characterization of mice deficient in aromatase (ArKO) because of targeted disruption of the cyp 19 gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1998, 95: 6965–6967.
Carani C., Qin K., Simoni M., Faustini-Fustini M., Serpente S., Boyd J., Korach K.S., Simpson E.R. Effect of testosterone and estradiol in a man with aromatase deficiency. N. Engl. J. Med. 1997, 337: 91–95.
Hamilton A., Piccart, M. The third-generation non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors: A review of their clinical benefits in the second-line hormonal treatment of advanced breast cancer. Oncogen. Cancer Res. 1999, 10: 377–384.
Tanner G.M., Whitehouse R.H., Cameron N., Marshall W.A., Healey M.G.R., Goldstein H. Assessment of skeketal maturity and prediction of adult height (TW2 Method), ed. 2, Academic Press, London, 1983.
Jung A., Carmel P., Schwartz M.S., Witkin J.W., Bentele K.H., Westphal M., Piatt J.H., Costa M.E Cornea A., Ma Y.J., Ojeda S.R. Some hypothalamic hamartomas contain transforming growth factor alpha, a puberty-inducing growth factor, but not luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 1999, 84: 4695–4699.
Pasquino A..M., Pucarelli I., Roggini M., Segni M. Adult height in short normal girls treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs and growth hormone. J Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2000, 85: 619–622.
Ishii T., Sato S., Anzo M., Sasaki G., Hasegawa T., Tamai S., Matsuo N. Treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing-hormone analog and attainment of full height potential in a male monozygotic twin with gonadotropin-releasing hormone-dependent precocious puberty. Eur. J. Pediatrics 1999, 158: 933–935.
Leschek E.W., Jones J., Barnes K.M., Hill S.C., Cutler G.B. Six year resukts of spironolactone and testolactone treatment of familial male-limited precocious puberty with addition of deslorelin after central puberty onset. J Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 1999, 84: 175–178.
Oz O.K., Zerwekh J.E., Fisher C., Graves K., Nanu L., Millsaps R., Simpson E.R. Bone has a sexually dimorphic response to aromatase deficiency. J. Bone Min. Res. 2000, 15: 507–514.
Turner K..J., Morley M., Atanassova N., Swanston I.D., Sharpe R.M. Effect of chronic administration of an aromatase inhibitor to adult male rats on pituitary and testicular function and fertility. J. Endocrinol. 2000, 164: 225–238.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Faglia, G., Arosio, M. & Porretti, S. Delayed closure of epiphyseal cartilages induced by the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole. Would it help short children grow up?. J Endocrinol Invest 23, 721–723 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345059
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345059