Incidental Findings on Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Children with Central Precocious Puberty

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with central precocious puberty (CPP) by age at onset and sex. Method(s): We included 130 CPP patients with brain MRI findings of the pituitary gland treated at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between February 2007 and October 2013 and divided them by age and sex: Boys, girls aged 6 years. The control group comprised 224 patients who underwent brain MRIs, and we compared their incidental brain findings with those of the CPP group. Result(s): In the CPP subgroups who underwent pituitary MRIs, the frequency of incidental brain lesions was 31.6% in boys, 47.1% in girls 6 years. The incidence of pituitary abnormalities was 42.1% in boys, 64.7% in girls 6 years. Among pituitary abnormalities, pituitary hypoplasia had a significantly higher incidence rate in girls 6 years (13.8%, P=0.027). Hypothalamic hamartomas were detected in one girl aged