Published online April 1, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 4 April 2008, pp. e975-e983 (doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2081)
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REVIEW ARTICLE

Use of Aromatase Inhibitors in Children and Adolescents With Disorders of Growth and Adolescent Development

Dorothy I. Shulman, MDa, Gary L. Francis, MD, PhDb, Mark R. Palmert, MD, PhDc, Erica A. Eugster, MDd for the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society Drug and Therapeutics Committee

a All Children's Hospital, St Petersburg, and Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida
b Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
c Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
d Riley Hospital for Children, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

Although treatment of children and adolescents who have disorders of growth and adolescent development with aromatase inhibitors is increasingly common, data for or against their use are extremely limited. Precocious puberty, short stature, and gynecomastia are conditions for which inhibition of the enzyme aromatase might prove beneficial to reduce clinical signs of estrogenization and/or estrogen-mediated skeletal maturation. In this report, we summarize the published data regarding the use of aromatase inhibitors in these conditions, and review known and potential benefits, safety concerns, and shortcomings of the available information.

Key Words: aromatase inhibitors • precocious puberty • gynecomastia • short stature

Abbreviations: AI—aromatase inhibitor • CAH—congenital adrenal hyperplasia • CYP19—cytochrome P450 XIX • FMPP—familial male precocious puberty • MAS—McCune-Albright syndrome • GnRH—gonadotropin-releasing hormone • BMD—bone mineral density

Accepted Sep 18, 2007.