OBJECTIVES: To study the value of basal luteinizing hormone (LH) level combined with uterine volume measurement in the early diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP) in girls with different Tanner stages. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the girls who presented with breast development before the age of 8 years and attended the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to September 2022. According to the results of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist test, the girls with peak LH ≥5.0 IU/L and peak LH/follicle stimulating hormone ≥0.6 were enrolled as the positive group, and the other girls were enrolled as the negative group. The two groups were compared in terms of the basal LH level and uterine volume. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze their value in the early diagnosis of CPP. RESULTS: For the girls with Tanner B2 and B3 stages, the positive group had significantly higher basal LH level and uterine volume than the negative group (P<0.05). The basal LH level had an optimal cut-off value of 0.325 IU/L and 0.505 IU/L respectively in the diagnosis of Tanner stage B2/B3 CPP, while uterine volume had an optimal cut-off value of 1.639 mL and 2.158 mL respectively. Basal LH level combined with uterine volume measurement had a significantly larger area under the ROC curve than uterine volume measurement alone (P<0.001), but with no significant difference compared with that of basal LH level measurement alone (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Basal LH level combined with uterine volume measurement is valuable in the early diagnosis of CPP in girls with different Tanner stages, which provides a basis and guiding significance for clinical diagnosis of CPP.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Early Diagnosis ; Luteinizing Hormone/chemistry* ; Puberty, Precocious/diagnosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterus/pathology*

PURPOSE: In the present study, the etiological trends in male central precocious puberty (CPP) were examined, and annual distribution was evaluated. METHODS: Seventy-one male CPP subjects who started puberty before 9 years of age were included in this study. All individuals were diagnosed as having CPP at Samsung Medical Center between 2001 and 2016. Chronological age at puberty onset, diagnosis of CPP, bone age, weight (kg), height (cm), puberty stage, brain magnetic resonance imaging findings, testosterone level, basal gonadotropin level, and gonadotropin level after gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation were analyzed. RESULTS: The 71 patients were divided into 2 groups: idiopathic (group I) and organic (group II) when the lesion was identified as associated with the central nervous system (CNS) or when the patient received chemotherapy for non-CNS tumors before CPP diagnosis, respectively. Forty-four cases (62%) were idiopathic, and 27 (38%) were organic. The proportion of idiopathic CPP was higher than that of organic CPP during the study period. In 51.9% of organic cases, puberty started before 8 years of age, whereas it started after that age in 93.2% of the idiopathic cases. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, among all male CPP cases, 62% were idiopathic. The probability of idiopathic CPP prevalence was higher in males when the puberty onset was after 8 years of age with no history of cranial radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male* ; Prevalence ; Puberty ; Puberty, Precocious* ; Radiotherapy ; Testosterone

PURPOSE: This study investigated depression and anxiety in girls with precocious puberty and in their mothers. METHOD: This study recruited 75 girls treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and their mothers from October 2017 to April 2018. The girls completed the Korean Children's Depression Inventory (K-CDI) and Maturity Fear Scale (MFS), and their mothers were surveyed with the Korean Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) and Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory (K-BAI). RESULTS: The K-BDI scores showed statistically significant differences according to girl's age (p < 0.016) and household income (p < 0.037). The anxiety scores showed statistically significant differences according to girls' Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.029) and household income (p < 0.005). There was a positive correlation between depression in girls and mothers (r=0.264, p < 0.050). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a need for understanding and counseling for depression in both girls??and their mothers during the process of diagnosis and treatment for precocious puberty.
Anxiety ; Body Mass Index ; Counseling ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Methods ; Mothers ; Puberty, Precocious

Dental maturity is associated with skeletal maturity, which is advanced in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). We investigated the performance of dental maturity as a screening method for CPP using mandibular second premolar and molar calcification stages, assessed the associated anthropometric and laboratory factors, and evaluated pubertal response predictors using the gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test (GnRHST) in prepubertal and pubertal girls. A prospective case-control study was conducted in girls, aged 7.0–8.9 years, classified into pubertal (peak luteinizing hormone [LH] after GnRHST ≥ 5 IU/L), prepubertal (peak LH < 5 IU/L), and control groups. Auxological and biochemical tests, panoramic radiographs, and GnRHSTs in participants with breast development were conducted. Dental maturity was assessed using the Demirjian index (DI). We included 103 girls (pubertal, 40; prepubertal, 19; control, 44). Chronological age (CA) was not significantly different between groups. Bone age (BA) and BA advancement was higher in the pubertal and prepubertal groups. Increased DI values at the mandibular second premolar and molar were significantly associated with CA, BA, BA advancement, height standard deviation score (SDS), peak LH after GnRHST, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) (all P < 0.05). Moreover, odds ratio (OR) of the mandibular second premolar and molar (a DI value of ≥ E) for predicting a positive response to GnRHST was 8.7 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 2.9–26.1) and 5.2 (95% CI, 2.2–12.7), respectively. Dental maturity was a strong predictor for diagnosing CPP. Determining dental maturity in girls with suspected precocious puberty might help determine the performance of GnRHSTs.
Bicuspid ; Breast ; Case-Control Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Molar ; Odds Ratio ; Prospective Studies ; Puberty, Precocious*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic value of baseline serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level for central precocious puberty (CPP) in girls.

METHODSA total of 279 girls with precocious puberty were subjected to assessment of growth and development, bone age determination, baseline LH test, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test, gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test, and other related examinations. Of the 279 patients, 175 were diagnosed with CPP and 104 with premature thelarche (PT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of baseline LH and FSH levels and their peak levels for CPP, and the correlation between the baseline LH level and the peak LH level was analyzed.

RESULTSThe CPP group had significantly higher bone age, baseline LH and FSH levels, peak LH and FSH levels, and ratio of peak LH level to peak FSH level than the PT group (P<0.01). The ROC curve proved that baseline LH level and peak LH level had good diagnostic values for CPP. Among the three bone age subgroups in the CPP group (7.0-9.0 years, 9.0-11.0 years, and >11.0 years), baseline LH level showed the best diagnostic value in the >11.0 years subgroup, with the largest area under the ROC curve. At a baseline LH level of 0.45 IU/L, the Youden index reached the peak value, and the sensitivity and specificity were 66.7% and 80% respectively, for the diagnosis of CPP. At a peak LH level of 9.935 IU/L, the Youden index reached the peak value, and the sensitivity and specificity were 74.8% and 100% respectively, for the diagnosis of CPP. The baseline LH level was positively correlated with the peak LH level (r=0.440, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSBaseline LH level can be used as an primary screening index for the diagnosis of CPP. It has a certain diagnostic value for CPP at different bone ages, and may be used as a monitoring index during the treatment and follow-uP.

Adolescent ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Child ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Puberty, Precocious ; blood ; diagnosis ; ROC Curve

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment on the weight and body mass index (BMI) of girls who were diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) or early puberty (EP). METHODS: Patients who were younger than 8 years of age at diagnosis were classified as CPP and patients aged between 8 and 9 years at diagnosis were classified as EP. Of 129 patients, 34 were diagnosed with CPP and 95 were diagnosed with EP. The patients were divided according to pretreatment weight status into normal weight group, an overweight group, or an obese group. RESULTS: No significant changes were observed with respect to the weight standard deviation score (SDS) before and after 1 year, 2 years of treatment, respectively (P>0.05, P>0.05) in all patient groups. No significant changes were observed in relation to the BMI SDS before and after 1 year, 2 years of treatment, respectively (P>0.05, P>0.05) in all patient group. Depending on the degree of obesity, differences with respect to the weight SDS and BMI SDS were observed. CONCLUSION: BMI SDS increased in the GnRHa-treated patients as a whole group, but was not statistically significant. But BMI SDS increased significantly in the normal weight group after 2 years of GnRHa treatment. So, GnRHa treatment may affect the change of BMI SDS depending on degree of obesity.
Adolescent ; Body Mass Index* ; Body Weight* ; Diagnosis ; Female* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins* ; Humans ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Puberty* ; Puberty, Precocious*

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the etiology, clinical features, and outcomes of patients with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty (GIPP). METHODS: The study included 16 patients (14 female and 2 male patients) who manifested secondary sexual characteristics, elevated sex hormones, or adrenal androgens with prepubertal luteinizing hormone levels after gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation diagnosed between May 1994 and December 2015. Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia were excluded. Clinical features, laboratory findings, treatment modalities, and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 2.6 years (range, 0.7–7.9 years) and median follow-up duration was 4.6 years (range, 1 month–9.8 years). Patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (n=5) and functional ovarian cysts (n=4) presented with vaginal bleeding and elevated estradiol levels (23.3±17.5 pg/mL); adrenocortical tumors (n=4) with premature pubarche and elevated dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels (87.2–6,530 µg/dL); and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-producing tumor (n=1) with premature pubarche and elevated β-human chorionic gonadotropin levels (47.4 mIU/mL). Two patients were idiopathic. Six patients transited to gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty median 3.3 years (range, 0.3–5.1 years) after the onset of GIPP. Initial and follow-up height standard deviation scores (0.99±0.84 vs. 1.10±1.10, P=0.44) and bone age advancement (1.49±1.77 years vs. 2.02±1.95 years, P=0.06) were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The etiologies of GIPP are heterogeneous, and treatment and prognosis is quite different according to the etiology. Efficacy of treatment with aromatase inhibitors needs to be evaluated after long-term follow-up.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Androgens ; Aromatase Inhibitors ; Child* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Diagnosis ; Estradiol ; Female ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Male ; Ovarian Cysts ; Prognosis ; Puberty, Precocious* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the etiology, clinical features, and outcomes of patients with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty (GIPP). METHODS: The study included 16 patients (14 female and 2 male patients) who manifested secondary sexual characteristics, elevated sex hormones, or adrenal androgens with prepubertal luteinizing hormone levels after gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation diagnosed between May 1994 and December 2015. Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia were excluded. Clinical features, laboratory findings, treatment modalities, and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 2.6 years (range, 0.7–7.9 years) and median follow-up duration was 4.6 years (range, 1 month–9.8 years). Patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (n=5) and functional ovarian cysts (n=4) presented with vaginal bleeding and elevated estradiol levels (23.3±17.5 pg/mL); adrenocortical tumors (n=4) with premature pubarche and elevated dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels (87.2–6,530 µg/dL); and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-producing tumor (n=1) with premature pubarche and elevated β-human chorionic gonadotropin levels (47.4 mIU/mL). Two patients were idiopathic. Six patients transited to gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty median 3.3 years (range, 0.3–5.1 years) after the onset of GIPP. Initial and follow-up height standard deviation scores (0.99±0.84 vs. 1.10±1.10, P=0.44) and bone age advancement (1.49±1.77 years vs. 2.02±1.95 years, P=0.06) were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The etiologies of GIPP are heterogeneous, and treatment and prognosis is quite different according to the etiology. Efficacy of treatment with aromatase inhibitors needs to be evaluated after long-term follow-up.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Androgens ; Aromatase Inhibitors ; Child* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Diagnosis ; Estradiol ; Female ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Male ; Ovarian Cysts ; Prognosis ; Puberty, Precocious* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is caused by a hemizygous microdeletion of chromosome 7q11.23 and is characterized by global cognitive impairment, dysmorphic facial features, and supravalvular aortic stenosis. Endocrine dysfunctions have been reported in patients with WBS. This study was performed to investigate the frequency, clinical features, and outcomes of endocrine dysfunctions in children with WBS. METHODS: One hundred two patients were included. The diagnosis was confirmed by chromosome analysis and fluorescent in situ hybridization. Medical charts were reviewed retrospectively to analyze endocrine dysfunctions such as short stature, precocious puberty, thyroid dysfunctions, and hypocalcemia. RESULTS: The age at diagnosis was 3.7±4.4 years (one month to 19 years). Height- and weight-standard deviation score (SDS) were -1.1±1.1 and -1.4±1.4 at presentation, respectively. Short stature was found in 26 patients (28.3%) among those older than 2 years. Body mass index-SDS increased as the patients grew older (P<0.001). Two males and one female (2.9%) were diagnosed with central precocious puberty. Nine patients (8.8%) were diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism at age 4.0±4.3 years (one month to 12.1 years); their serum thyroid stimulating hormone and free T4 levels were 15.2±5.4 µU/mL and 1.2±0.2 ng/dL, respectively. Hypercalcemia was observed in 12 out of 55 patients under age 3 (22%) at the age of 14.3±6.6 months (7 to 28 months) with a mean serum calcium level of 13.1±2.1 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: Endocrine dysfunctions are not uncommon causes of morbidity in patients with WBS. The severity and outcomes of their endocrine manifestations were heterogeneous. Long-term follow-up is needed to predict the prognosis of endocrine features.
Aortic Stenosis, Supravalvular ; Calcium ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hypocalcemia ; Hypothyroidism ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; Prognosis ; Puberty, Precocious ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Williams Syndrome*

The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test is the gold standard for differentiating central precocious puberty (CPP) from exaggerated thelarche (ET). Because of this test's limitations, previous studies have clarified the clinical and laboratory factors that predict CPP. The present study investigated the early diagnostic significance of pelvic ultrasound in girls with CPP. The GnRH stimulation test and pelvic ultrasound were performed between March 2007 and February 2015 in 192 girls (aged <8 years) with signs of early puberty and advanced bone age. Ninety-three of 192 patients (48.4%) were diagnosed as having CPP and the others (51.6%) as having ET. The CPP group had higher uterine volumes (4.31+/-2.79 mL) than did the ET group (3.05+/-1.97 mL, p=0.03). No significant differences were found in other ultrasonographic parameters. By use of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the most predictive parameter for CPP was a uterine volume of least 3.30 mL, with an area under the curve of 0.659 (95% confidence interval: 0.576-0.736). The CPP group had significantly higher uterine volumes than did the ET group, but there were no reliable cutoff values in pelvic ultrasound for differentiating between CPP and ET. Pelvic ultrasound should be combined with clinical and laboratory tests to maximize its diagnostic value for CPP.
Adolescent ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Pelvis ; Puberty ; Puberty, Precocious ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography