Premature Adrenarche
Basics
DESCRIPTION
- Appearance of pubic hair before age 8 years in girls and age 9 years in boys with elevated adrenal androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA] or dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate [DHEA-S])
- Some data suggest that the age of normal sexual development onset in girls is younger than previously recognized, but lowering of the traditionally accepted limits remains subject to debate.
- Axillary hair, acne, and apocrine sweat gland secretion are not always present with premature adrenarche.
- No other signs of sexual development should be present.
- Presence of breast development in girls or testicular enlargement in boys suggests precocious puberty and not premature adrenarche.
- Occurs independently of hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis activation seen with true puberty
RISK-FACTORS
GENETICS
- Often sporadic
- Familial patterns suggesting recessive and dominant inheritance have been described.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- Concentrations of adrenal steroids such DHEA or DHEA-S increase earlier than typically seen in normal puberty.
- Note: Zona reticularis of adrenal normally begins to increase androgen secretion at age 6 to 8 years.
There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.
Citation
Cabana, Michael D., editor. "Premature Adrenarche." Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics, 7th ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2015. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14185/all/Premature_Adrenarche.
Premature Adrenarche. In: Cabana MDM, ed. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14185/all/Premature_Adrenarche. Accessed October 11, 2024.
Premature Adrenarche. (2015). In Cabana, M. D. (Ed.), Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics (7th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14185/all/Premature_Adrenarche
Premature Adrenarche [Internet]. In: Cabana MDM, editors. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. [cited 2024 October 11]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14185/all/Premature_Adrenarche.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Premature Adrenarche
ID - 14185
ED - Cabana,Michael D,
BT - Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics
UR - https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14185/all/Premature_Adrenarche
PB - Wolters Kluwer Health
ET - 7
DB - Medicine Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -