We evaluated the 12 month growth of 18 pubertal children with familial short stature randomly assigned to clinical follow-up (group A), GH treatment alone (group B) and GH+LHRH analogue (LHRHa) treatment (group C). Height velocity increased significantly compared to baseline in groups A and B (4.7 +/- 0.4 vs 6.6 +/- 0.6 and 4.4 +/- 0.3 vs 8 +/- 1 respectively), but not in C (5 +/- 0.5 vs 6.5 +/- 0.4). Moreover in group B height and height prognosis standard deviation score SDS) also were higher (-2.2 +/- 0.2 vs -1.7 +/- 0.2 and 1.8 +/- 0.3 vs -1 +/- 0.2, respectively). Comparisons among the groups showed a significant increase in group B vs the other groups of height velocity SDS (3.9 +/- 1.3 vs 0.4 + 1 and 0.3 +/- 0.7) and of height prognosis SDS (-1 +/- 0.2 vs -2.4 +/- 0.3 and -2.4 +/- 0.3). In conclusion, after one-year treatment, GH seems to be more effective in stimulating growth than GH +/- LHRHa, even if studies of longer duration and/or follow-up are needed.