Precocious pubarche: Experience in 173 cases Pubarquia precoz: Experiencia en 173 casos

Abstract

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. Aim: To analyze the etiology and perform a short term follow up in a cohort of patients with PP. Material and 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 f