Precocious puberty – Quick review card

PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY Precocious puberty is early onset of puberty and secondary sexual characteristics in children < 8 in girls and < 9 in boys Challenging condition as the cause can range from benign conditions to serious cause as malignancy

Central - gonadotrophin dependent ( GDPP ) premature activation of the HPG axis follows normal pattern ( sequence ) of pubertal development sexual characteristics are isosexual ie they are consistent with the child's gender in girls the most common cause is idiopathic whereas in boys usually there is an underlying pathology Idiopathic precocious puberty is the commonest cause of GDPP CNS related causes as tumours , infections , trauma , cranial irradiation , hydrocephaly , cerebral palsy Genetic syndrome as neurofibromatosis type 1 , tuberous sclerosis Environmental Familial precocious puberty.

Peripheral- gonadotrophin independent independent of GnRH pulsatile secretion due to production of sex steroids from exogenous or endogenous sources Due to causes as○ adrenal ( e,g congenital virilising congenital adrenal hyperplasia Cushing's )○ Gonadal - Mc Cune ALbright syndrome , ovarian tumors○ HCG producing tumors○ primary hypothyroidism ( longstanding )○ iatrogenic

Other variants of precocious puberty include premature thelarche , premature pubarche , isolated premature menarche Premature thelarche -isolated development of...