Abstract
Summary
The administration of testosterone propionate in doses of 75 to 125 mg weekly to 8 hypogonadal adolescent boys ranging in age between 9 and 18 years was accompanied by an increase in average growth rate from 1.36 cm per 100 days during the control period to 3.6 cm per 100 days during the period of therapy. Following the cessation of treatment the average growth rate again fell to 1.56 cm per 100 days. This apparent stimulation of growth rate was unaccompanied by X-ray evidence of epiphyseal closure. The exact mechanism of this growth stimulation is not clear. Since all of these individuals exhibited evidence of hypogonadism, it must be pointed out that, on the basis of these observations, there is no justification for the use of testosterone propionate as a growth stimulant in normal adolescence since such therapy might result in permanent damage to the individual.
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