98: Voice frequency during normal and retarded growth, and during androgen treatment

摘要

We have measured basal, lowest and highest voice frequency (BF, LF, HF), using a simple method, in (1) 372 normal subjects: children and adolescents at ages 6, 8 and 10 years and at the different pubic hair stages (PH), and adults; (2) 71 children with different types of growth failure, and (3) 48 boys with delayed growth and maturation and 31 girls with Turner's syndrome, during fluoxymesterone treatment. BF fell in boys between ages 8 and 10 years (from 259 to 247Hz), but not in girls (253Hz). LF fell between ages 6 and 10 years in boys (from 234 to 203Hz) and girls (from 230 to 218 Hz), and a sex difference appeared. In puberty, a gradual fall of BF and LF occurred parallel to PH development, both in boys (to 100, 90Hz) and girls (to 213, 180Hz). An abnormally high BF was observed in 3 of 12 hyposomatotropic children, 4 of 7 children with Mulibrey nanism, and 2 of 9 children with other prenatal growth failure. Boys with delayed maturation had subnormal BF at PH 1 prior to treatment. At PH 2, fluoxymesterone (0.135mg/kg/day) treated boys had lower BF than untreated boys. Girls with Turner's syndrome also had slightly subnormal BF for PH after fluoxymesterone (0.10mg/kg/day). The voice effect was individually variable. In some cases androgen was discontinued because of voice change and a recovery was observed. The method is useful in the clinical characterization of growth failure and stage of puberty. It is particularly recommended for voice monitoring during androgen treatment when a change is undesirable.