Precocious puberty

Abstract

Precocious puberty affects nearly 1/5000–1/10,000 children with a high female predominance. Signs of pubertal development in girls younger than 8 years of age should prompt an evaluation. Physical examination to distinguish true precocious puberty from premature adrenarche or other similar diagnoses is essential. Laboratory analysis of gonadotropins and estradiol followed by targeted radiographic imaging is used to make the distinction between central (gonadotropin-dependent) or peripheral (gonadotropin-independent) precocious puberty. This chapter will provide a case-based approach to the complex issues associated with precocious puberty.