title: Functional ovarian hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary syndrome in prepubertal girls with obesity and/or premature pubarche.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH) is considered to be a form of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at adolescence. There are almost no data in the prepubertal period, although one of the earliest manifestations of PCOS is premature pubarche. Prepubertal girls with obesity or insulin resistance are also at risk to develop the full PCOS phenotype after puberty. The aim of this study was to evaluate prepubertal girls with premature pubarche and/or obesity for PCOS or FOH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven prepubertal girls with premature pubarche and/or obesity aged >6 years were evaluated. FOH was defined as abnormal ovarian 17OHP response to challenge with GnRH analog of >2 ng/ml after exclusion of adrenal dysfunction. All patients underwent a pelvic ultrasound examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients had premature pubarche, seven were obese, and four had both premature pubarche and obesity. Eleven of 27 patients (40.7%) showed high (>2 ng/ml) 17OHP response to GnRH challenge. Three patients (11%) with FOH also showed PCO morphology on pelvic ultrasound examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In prepubertal girls who carry risk factors, including genetic polymorphisms and/or particular environmental factors, FOH/PCOS could develop at a high rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. zeynepskl@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Siklar
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oçal
authors.forename: Pelin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adiyaman
authors.forename: Ayça
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ergur
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berberoğlu
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011627:Puberty; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors