Application of auxological methods, including dental age estimation, in the assessment of delayed puberty in girls in gynecological practice

Abstract

Developmental gynecology uses methods practiced in auxology - the science of human ontogenetic development. An important and jointly used concept in gynecology and auxology is the concept of developmental age, which, unlike calendar age, is a measure of the biological maturity of the organism, indicating the stage of advancement in the development of certain features or body systems. Developmental age assessment methods include: a) morphological (somatic) age - body height and weight, b) secondary sex characteristics - breast in girls, genitalia (penis and testes) in boys, and pubic hair in both sexes, c) bone age - hand and wrist x-ray, and d) dental age. An important marker of developmental age is also age at menarche, treated as a late indicator of puberty in girls. All of these methods are useful in the context of assessing regularity and disorders of puberty, such as delayed puberty. The paper discusses developmental age assessment methods that can be used to diagnose delayed puberty as well as the causes of delayed puberty in girls. It should be emphasized that in assessing the process of physical development of a given individual, the cooperation of specialists in the field of developmental gynecology, pediatrics, auxology, dentistry, endocrinology, and dietetics would be the most desirable.