[The effects of long-term inhaled glucocorticoids on children's bones].

The authors study, by calcanean ultrasonographic method, the effects of inhaled steroids, administered for long term, on the bone status, in children with persistent asthma. The study group consisted in 33 children with persistent asthma, treated for 12 months with low or moderate doses of either beclomethasone dipropionate or fluticasone propionate. In all of them there were measured the main ultrasonographic parameters, before and after treatment. The results were compared with those recorded in a control group. The control group consisted in 16 children with asthma that did not receive long term inhaled steroids. In the study group the were no statistically significant differences between ultrasonographic parameters measured before and after steroids inhaled treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between ultrasonographic parameters measured after steroid treatment in the study group and the same parameters recorded in the control group. The results of our study reveal that long term inhaled steroids therapy do not influence the bone density at the calcanean level.