[Precocious pubarche: experience in 173 cases ].
BACKGROUND
Precocious pubarche (PP), defined as the development of sexual pubic hair before 8 years of age in females and before 9 years in males, is usually a benign condition but it can also be the first sign of an underlying disease.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the etiology and perform a short term follow up in a cohort of patients with PP.


METHODS
A group of 173 patients (158 females) consulted for PP with a mean age of 7.4+/-0.1 years. These patients were followed between 15 to 60 months. Anthropometric measurements, bone age, serum levels of total testosterone, 17 OH progesterone (17 OHP) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) were evaluated.


RESULTS
Mean birth weight and length was 3024.1+/-50.5 g and 48.5+/-0.3 cm, respectively. Ten percent of children were small for gestational age at birth. Bone age was accelerated by 1.1+/-0.01 years. One hundred and twelve patients were classified as having idiopathic PP (64.7%; 105 females), 29 as central precocious puberty (16.8%; only females), 16 as exaggerated adrenarche (EA 9.2%; 13 females) and 16 as non classical adrenal hyperplasia (9.2%; 11 females).


CONCLUSIONS
PP represents a common and usually benign sign. However, 26% of cases had a pathologic underlying condition. Therefore, all children with PP should be evaluated by a pediatric endocrinologist. Low birth weight was not frequent in this cohort and these patients did not show EA .
Eyzaguirre
Francisca C
FC
Instituto de Investigaciones Materno Infantil, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile. panquisca@yahoo.com
Bancalari
Rodrigo
R
Youlton
Ronald
R
Román
Rossana
R
Silva
Ricardo
R
García
Hernán
H
Mericq
Verónica
V
D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D017668:Age of Onset; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*