Precocious puberty: a clinical review

Abstract

Precocious puberty is defined as pubertal development occurring more than 2.5 standard deviations earlier than the average age. It may comprise of central or gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty and peripheral or gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty. Variants of precocious puberty include premature thelarche, premature pubarche and isolated premature menarche which principally implies onset of menstruation without any other signs of sexual development. Precocious puberty may have long-term consequences including short stature later on in adulthood owing to premature epiphyseal fusion as also psychosocial problems. Evaluation includes a detailed history, physical examination, biochemical tests and imaging directed towards detecting the cause. Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) analogues are effective for treatment of central precocious puberty. Treatment of peripheral precocious puberty should be based on the cause. Isolated variants are usually normal but should be closely monitored. Multi-speciality consultation with involvement of pediatricians and enocrinologists may improve treatment outcomes in these children, who otherwise pose significant challenges to the gynaecologist.