Effective aromatase inhibition by anastrozole in a patient with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty in McCune-Albright syndrome

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2002:15 Suppl 3:945-8.

Abstract

Testolactone is used to treat conditions with excessive estrogen synthesis, e.g. gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty in McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). Unfortunately, daily treatment with testolactone requires 3 to 4 doses (10-20 tablets) and even at these doses it is sometimes ineffective. We treated a patient with MAS (café-au-lait spots; thelarche at age 2- 6/12 yr; menarche at 5- 5/12 yr; accelerated bone age [BA 10 yr]) with the highly selective aromatase inhibitor anastrozole (1 mg once per day). Tamoxifen 1 mg/kg per day was added for 1 year but was discontinued when an ovarian cyst developed with markedly elevated estradiol levels. Estradiol levels returned to normal after resuming anastrozole-only treatment and accelerated BA progressed only 6 months during 2 1/2 years of treatment. The potent estrogen suppressive action and simple dosage regimen of anastrozole suggest it may be advantageous compared to other aromatase inhibitors such as testolactone or anti-estrogens.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anastrozole
  • Aromatase Inhibitors*
  • Child
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Estrogen Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic / drug therapy*
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone / blood
  • Humans
  • Luteinizing Hormone / blood
  • Menarche
  • Nitriles / therapeutic use*
  • Puberty, Precocious / drug therapy*
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use
  • Triazoles / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Aromatase Inhibitors
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Estrogen Antagonists
  • Nitriles
  • Triazoles
  • Tamoxifen
  • Anastrozole
  • Luteinizing Hormone
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone