Endocrinology Flashcards
What is the main hormone that triggers puberty?
LH
~1- 3 yr before onset clinically evident puberty, LH levels become detectable during sleep in pulsatile pattern
What are the cut offs for precocious puberty in boys and girls?
Boys <9 years (early puberty is more pathologic)
-NOTE: Onset of puberty= testicular enlargement
Girls <8 years (THELARCHE)
-NOTE: Onset of puberty=thelarche
What are the cut offs for delayed puberty in boys and girls?
Girls > 13 (thelarche), >15 (menses)
NOTE: Late puberty rare in girls, commonly organic
Boys > 14
What is the first clinical sign indicative of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal activation in girls and boys?
Girls-breast buds
Boys-testes volume (>4ml) or length >2.5 cm
Describe SMR staging for girls (breasts)?
Stage 1: Prepubertal, with no palpable breast tissue
Stage 2: Breast bud, with elevation of the papilla and enlargement of areolar diameter
Stage 3: Enlargement of breast, without separation of areolar contour from breast
Stage 4: Areola and papilla project above the breast, forming a secondary mound.
Stage 5: Recession of the areola to match contour of breast, with papilla projecting beyond contour
Describe SMR staging for boys (genitals)?
Stage 1: Prepubertal. Testicular volume <1.5ml, penis <3 cm
Stage 2: Enlargement of scrotum and testes (testicular volume 1.6-6ml); scrotal skin reddens and changes in texture
Stage 3: Enlargement of penis (to about 6 cm); further growth of testes (6-12 ml)
Stage 4: Increased size of penis (10cm) with growth in breadth and development of glans; testes (12-20 ml) and scrotum larger, scrotal skin darker
Stage 5: Adult genitalia (testicular volume 20 ml), penis 15 cm
What is a differential diagnosis of precious puberty?
Central:
- Idiopathic (95% in girls, only 50% in males)
- CNS lesions-hypothalamic hamartomas, brain tumour
Peripheral: A. Girls -Ovarian cyst -Ovarian tumor -McCune Albright -Prolonged untreated hypothyroidism) -Exogenous estrogen/testosterone -Severe longstanding hypothyroidism -CAH -Estrogen-secreting adrenal tumour -McCune Albright
B. Boys
- Leydig cell tumour
- Adrenal (CAH, adrenocortical tumor)
- hCG secreting tumour
- Familial male precocious puberty
- Severe longstanding hypothyroidism
- Exogenous testosterone
- CAH
- Androgen-secreting adrenal tumour
What is premature adrenarche?
Due to early maturation of adrenal androgen production
Benign, non-progressive pubertal variant
What bloodwork might you do for premature adrenarche?
- Bone age: (mild to moderate increase, but should NOT be >2 years)
- DHEAS normal or mildly increased
- LH, FSH-prepubertal
- Consider 17-OHP and testosterone to r/o ddx (adrenal/ovarian tumours, CAH, exogenous androgens)
How do you differentiate premature adrenarche from peripheral precocity?
Premature adrenarche:
Associated with increased weight
True puberty at normal age
Normal penile length
Precocity:
Bone age >2 years advanced
Marked hyperadrogenism (e.g. clitoromegaly)
Can have longer penile length (because of excess testosterone)
What is premature thelarche?
Onset 6-24 mo
Isolated to breast development
Benign non-progressive pubertal variant
How do you differentiate premature thelarche from precocious puberty?
Premature thelarche:
- No height acceleration
- Most will regress
- True puberty at normal age
- SMR <2
Preciocious puberty:
- SMR >3 breasts
- Advanced bone age
Does premature adrenarche increase the risk of PCOS?
YES
What investigations should you order for premature thelarche?
Bone age
Continued observation for GV and secondary sexual characteristics
How do you test for familial male limited precocious puberty?
Genetic testing LHCGR
If you see discrepancy and penis size/pubic hair and testicular growth, is this more indicative of central or peripheral precocity?
Peripheral
Excess androgen causes penis to enlarge, pubic hair
However, FSH is supressed so there is no stimulation of Sertli cells to cause testicular enlargement
What are the clinical manifestations of McCune Albright?
- Usually girls
- Precocity (ovaries/testes are autonomously producing hormones)
- Patchy hyperpigmentation
- Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
- Other endocrinopathies (hyperthyroidism, GH excess, cushing’s syndrome)
- Renal phosphate wasting (leading to osteomalacia)
- Episodic puberty-cyclic breast enlargement and vaginal bleeding
What initial tests do you order for peripheral precocity
Girls: bone age, TSH, LH, FSH, estradiol, GnRH stim testing → AUS for peripheral, MRI brain for central
Boys: bone age, TSH, LH, FSH, testosterone, GnRH stim, imaging essential MRI/CT brain
When do you do an MRI for precocious puberty?
All boys with precocity
All girls <6 with precocity
What is the most sensitive test to determine onset of puberty?
Basal LH > 0.3 IU/L
What is a differential diagnosis of delayed puberty in girls?
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism:
- CDGP***most common
- Chronic disease (e.g. anorexia, cystic fibrosis, IBD)
- Tumour
- Radiation
- Head injury
- Kallman syndrome
- CHARGE syndrome
Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism: Turner syndrome Ovarian radiation POF (Galactosemia Fragile X) Complete AIS Chemo
What is the differential diagnosis of delayed puberty in boys?
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism:
- CDGP ***most common
- Chronic disease (e.g. anorexia, cystic fibrosis, IBD, malnutrition)
- Kallman syndrome
- Pituitary tumour
- Head injury
- CHARGE syndrome
Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism:
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Testicular torsion/trauma
- Vanishing testes syndrome
- Chemo
- Gonadal infection
- Gonadal dysgenesis
What test would you order if you were concerned about hypergonadotropic hypogonadism?
Chromosomes
To look for Klinefelter in boys, Turner in girls
What are the goals of precocious puberty treatment?
Preserve adult height
Alleviate psychosocial concerns