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. 2022 Nov 1;10:978311. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.978311

Table 2.

Pros and cons of each medication.

Drug (ref) Advantages Disadvantages
Tamoxifen (11–22)

  • – Large body of evidence −12/24 studies

  • – Long follow-up of up to 7 years

  • – Good pain resolution (range 50%–100%)

  • – Good rate of size reduction (range 41%–95%)

  • – Low recurrence rate (range 0%–14%)

  • – Almost no side effects (only two studies found any).

  • – No effects on growth

  • – No effects on gonadal or pituitary hormone levels.
  • – 

    8% of all reported patients were referred to surgery post-treatment due to dissatisfaction
Raloxifene (11, 23)

  • – Relative long follow-up (3 years)

  • – High pain resolution (100%)

  • – Good rate of size reduction Tamoxifen [range 86%–93%)]

  • – No reported recurrence

  • – No reported side effects

  • – No effects on growth

  • – No effects on gonadal or pituitary hormone levels.

  • – Small body of evidence (2 studies)

  • – Four patients referred to surgery post-treatment due to dissatisfaction
Clomiphene (24–26)

  • – Relative long follow-up (2.4 years)

  • – No effects on gonadal or pituitary hormone levels.No reported side effects

  • – Small body of evidence (3 studies)

  • – Relative low pain resolution (86%)

  • – Relatively high reported recurrence (26%)

  • – Five patients referred to surgery post-treatment
Anastrozole (27–29)

  • – High pain resolution (range 80%–100%)

  • – Small body of evidence (3 studies)

  • – No follow-up, unknown recurrence rate or post treatment complications

  • – Relatively low size reduction (range 36.1%–60%)

  • – Relatively high rate of side effects (up to 79%)
Testolactone (30)

  • – No reported side effects

  • – Good size reduction (90%)

  • – Small body of evidence (one study)

  • – No follow-up

  • – Changes in gonadal or pituitary hormonal levels during therapy and no post-therapy data
DHT (31, 32)

  • – Relative long follow-up (2 years)

  • – High pain resolution (100%)

  • – Good size reduction (range 72.5%–100%)

  • – Good pain resolution (100%)

  • – No recurrence

  • – No reported side effects

  • – Small body of evidence (2 studies)

  • – More complex drug delivery route (intramuscular, gel)

  • – Changes in gonadal or pituitary hormonal levels during therapy.
Danazol (33, 34)

  • – Good size reduction (range 80–91%)

  • – No recurrence

  • – No effect on growth

  • – Small body of evidence (2 studies)

  • – Relatively short follow-up (6 months)

  • – Unclear pain resolution

  • – Reported side effects (up to 27%)

  • – One patient referred to surgery

  • – Changes in gonadal or pituitary hormonal levels