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. 2022;31(1):25-32.
doi: 10.1297/cpe.2021-0042. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

Investigation of early puberty prevalence and time of addition thelarche to pubarche in girls with premature pubarche: two-year follow-up results

Esin Gizem Olgun  1 , Sirmen Kizilcan Cetin  2 , Zeynep Siklar  2 , Zehra Aycan  2 , Elif Ozsu  2 , Aysegul Ceran  2 , Merih Berberoglu  2
Affiliations

Investigation of early puberty prevalence and time of addition thelarche to pubarche in girls with premature pubarche: two-year follow-up results

Esin Gizem Olgun et al. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol. 2022.

Abstract

We aimed to determine the prevalence of early puberty in girls with premature pubarche and analyze the time interval between their pubarche and succeeding thelarche. This study included 60 female children with premature pubarche. We retrospectively collected clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings from all participants. We investigated the time interval between pubarche and thelarche in cases wherein premature pubarche was followed by thelarche. The mean age at onset of pubarche was 6.93 ± 0.79 yr old. Among the participants, 16.7% were preterm, 20% were small for gestational age (SGA), and 55% were overweight or obese. The mean time interval between pubarche and thelarche was 11.20 ± 7.41 mo. The mean serum DHEA-S level was higher in the preterm group (p = 0.016), and DHEA-S levels were generally higher in the SGA group (p = 0.004). This study documented the presence of being overweight or obese and having more advanced growth than their genetic potential in half of the patients who had premature pubarche. In addition to these identified risk factors, obesity-independent DHEA-S levels were observed to be higher in patients who had early puberty with the first six months of their follow-up considered to be the most critical time in predicting early puberty.

Keywords: dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S); exaggerated adrenarche; precocious puberty; premature adrenarche; premature pubarche.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Percentages of risk factors of all cases, including those that developed thelarche after pubarche, that developed thelarche after pubarche within the first six months of the follow-up period, and were diagnosed with CPP.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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