Final height of girls with central precocious puberty, untreated versus treated with cyproterone acetate or GnRH analogue. A comparative study with re-evaluation of predictions by the Bayley-Pinneau method.

This study was designed to determine the benefit of therapy on final height (FHt) in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). A total of 102 patients were evaluated--28 untreated, 26 treated with cyproterone acetate (CyA), and 48 treated with GnRH analogue (GnRHA)-and their achieved FHt was compared to the respective target height (THt). Of the untreated girls, half (14/28) had a slow course of puberty and reached THt +/- 0.5 SD (FHt 160.2 +/- 7.1, THt 159.5 +/- 6.6 cm); the other half (14/28) had an accelerated course of puberty with a FHt well below THt (FHt 150.8 +/- 4.3, THt, 159.2 +/- 5.9 cm) and in most cases (14/28) below the height-SDS of both parents. The treated girls (both regimens) reached THt above (CyA group: FHt 157.8 +/- 5.1, THt 156.8 +/- 5.1 cm; GnRHA group: 159.6 +/- 6.3, THt 157.7 +/- 5.7 cm). We conclude that without treatment the FHt of girls with CPP may be significantly compromised and that therapy is more beneficial if started before bone age exceeds 12 years. Our data also showed that for final height predictions in CPP the Bayley and Pinneau tables for average children should be used, regardless of the advanced bone age of the patients.