[Testosteron treatment of excessively tall boys (author's transl)]

Twenty-five boys aged 11.7-16.8 years with constitutionally tall stature were treated with 500 mg testosteron oenanthate two-weekly over a period of 15.6 months on average. Prediction of height was done according to Bayley-Pinneau (BP) and Tanner et al. with a mean parent height of 168 cm (T168) and 172 cm (T172). It was on average at 202.73 cm (BP) and 203.26 cm (T168) or 201.97 (T172). The achieved height reduction was 7.2 cm (BP), 7.73 cm (T168) and 6.44 cm (T172), corresponding to a reduction of 45.6% (BP), 47.3% (T168) and 41% (T172) of the future growth. Whereas the major reductions were obtained in the youngest patients, success of treatment in patients with a skeletal age of 15 and more years was not demonstrable with certainty. Predominant side effects were weight gain within the first 6 months, acne and transient reduction of testicular volume.