THE COMBINED EFFECT OF GROWTH HORMONE AND METHANDROSTENOLONE ON THE LINEAR GROWTH OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE PITUITARY HORMONE DEFICIENCIES

Six patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD) were initially treated with separate courses of methandrostenolone and growth hormone and later with the two drugs combined. During the basal period the mean growth velocity was 2.8 cm/year. Methandrostenolone alone, 0.02-0.05 mg/kg/day given to four of the patients led to an acceleration of the growth velocity to a mean of 5.0 cm/year, while growth hormone 6 mg/week alone accelerated the growth rate to a mean of 6.0 cm/year. Combined therapy led to a striking increase in the mean growth rate to 9.3 cm/year. The shortcoming of the combined growth hormone-androgen therapy was the fast acceleration in skeletal maturation even after short-term administration.