Effects of Androgen Treatment on Growth in Patients with 5-Alpha-Reductase Type 2 Deficiency

The study followed 19 patients with 5-α-reductase type 2 deficiency (5αRD2) for an average of 10.6 years, 12 of whom received androgen treatment. The results showed that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment did not increase bone age (BA) or height standard deviation scores (SDS) relative to BA, while testosterone enanthate (TE) treatment resulted in BA advancement and decreased height SDS relative to BA, especially in the prepubertal period. The study concluded that DHT treatment is more favorable for height than TE treatment in patients with 5αRD2, particularly during the prepubertal period. Therefore, age and the type of androgen used should be carefully considered to minimize the risk of height reduction in these patient groups.