Puberty (normal and abnormal) Flashcards

1
Q

What is puberty

A

The process of becoming sexually mature (fertile)

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2
Q

What is adolescence

A

The process of rapid physical and physiological maturation between childhood and adulthood

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3
Q

What are the non-pathological influences on the timing of puberty

A

Genetic: racial, familial, sex. Endocrine pathology: hypothalamo-pituitary, gonadal, adrenal. Environment: socioeconomic, secular trend, light and dark rhythms. Health linked to stress: emotional and physical. Drugs and body composition influence physical

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4
Q

What is menarche onset

A

Puberty starting

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5
Q

Who have earlier menarche

A

Those from urban areas and those from a higher socio-economic background

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6
Q

When do boys start puberty compared to girls

A

One year later

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7
Q

What is the normal puberty range for girls

A

8-18

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8
Q

When is girls peak growth

A

9-14

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9
Q

What is the normal puberty range for boys

A

10-15

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10
Q

What is boys peak growth

A

10-16

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11
Q

What is a prader orchidometer

A

It is used to assess testicular volume in young boys. When the beads become yellow it indicates the onset of puberty

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12
Q

Describe the Tanner stages of female development

A

5 stages of female breast and pubic hair development. Stages 3-4 are intermediate stages

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13
Q

Describe uterine volume between 0-8

A

Remains fairly constant between 2-1.5ml

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14
Q

Describe uterine volume between 8-14

A

Uterine volume increases to 40-14ml

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15
Q

What is ovarian volume from 0-5

A

0.4-1.0 ml

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16
Q

What is ovarian volume from 6-10

A

0.4-1.9 ml

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17
Q

By the time a girl reaches 16 what is her ovarian volume

A

1.8-22ml

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18
Q

How do ovaries change post puberty

A

from 0.6-6 ml

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19
Q

What regulates pubertal changes

A

Endocrine changes

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20
Q

In females what are aromatides (e.g. LH) converted to

A

Oestrogen

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21
Q

In men what is LH converted to

A

Testosterone and FSH used in sperm production

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22
Q

What do the phases of testicular function show

A

That post-natal boys go through a mini puberty

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23
Q

What effect does the gonadal feedback to the hypothalamic pulse generator have

A

A powerful inhibitory effect which prevents further production of LH and FSH

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24
Q

What happens to the inhibitory feedback loop at the onset of puberty

A

It is impaired

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25
Q

What is the gender difference in growth spurt

A

Girls grow fastest in their first few years of puberty. Girls pubertal peak is two years before boys

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26
Q

What is the relationship between growth hormone secretion and height velocity in puberty

A

The higher the mean 24-hour GH the greater the height velocity in cm/month

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27
Q

What is the effect of age on skeletal growth proportions

A

Growth doesn’t affect all parts of the skeleton equally

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28
Q

Describe the critical weight hypothesis

A

Different races have different critical weights at which menarche will occur. A minimum level of stored, easily mobilised energy is necessary for ovulation and menstrual cycle in girls. Having a minimum level of stored energy makes physiological sense as if you become pregnant it drains energy stores therefore you must have a store to become pregnant

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29
Q

What prevents the onset of pubertal development

A

Anorexia nervosa which is deliberate starvation

30
Q

What does leptin stimulate

A

Reproductive axis (links nutritional store to puberty). Leptin has gonadal function

31
Q

Describe congenital leptin deficiency

A

Normal birth weight, severe early onset obesity and hyperphagia, clincally and biochemically prepubertal aged 8 years, severely decreased serum leptin concentration, homozygous guanine nucleotide deletion of leptin gene

32
Q

Describe the effect of congenital leptin deficiency on puberty

A

Homozygous misense mutation of leptin gene impaired mutant protein secretion. 34 yr old female- primary amenorrhoea. 22 yr old male- prepubertal, biochemical hypothalamic hypogonadism (very physiologically abnormal, means hypothalamic mediated hypogonadism)

33
Q

What do mutations result in

A

Implications on the timings of the onset of puberty

34
Q

What are the causes of delayed puberty

A

Constitutional delay- hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, hypergonadotrophic hyopgonadism

35
Q

Describe the causes of hypogonadontrophic hypogonadism

A

CNS disorders: tumours, other acquired disorders, congenital disorders. Isolated gonadotrophin deficiency. Multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. Others: Prader-Willi and Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndromes, chronic disease, weight loss, anorexia, increased physical activity in females, hypothyroidism

36
Q

Describe the causes of hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism

A

Klinefelter syndrome. Other forms of testicular failure, anorchia, cryptochidism. Turner syndrome, otehr forms of primary ovarian failure. XX & XY gonadal dysgenesis.

37
Q

What is hypergonadism

A

A failure of feedback resulting in increased gonadotrophin levels

38
Q

What is the effect of delayed puberty:

A

Relatively short stature, low self-esteem confidence and inadequacy, rejection, disturbed relationship with parents, attention seeking and immature behaviour, persistence of psychological features into adult life.

39
Q

What does it mean if you have the correct height ages for bone age

A

You are normal and will achieve normal growth

40
Q

What results in a greater peak height

A

Early onset of puberty

41
Q

What is involves in treatment of delayed puberty

A

Investigations, reassurance, testosterone, ethinyloestradiol

42
Q

What investigations would you do if indicated into delayed onset of puberty

A

Bone age, karyotype, gonadotrophins, sex steroids and LHRK usually helpful

43
Q

Describe the use of testosterone in delayed puberty

A

Started from ages 14 years until testicular volume >8mls

44
Q

What are the two different types of testosterone you can give

A

Sustanon (50-100mh monthly I/M). Testosterone undecanoate (40mg daily orally)

45
Q

If there is no testicular enlargement despite virilisation what is required

A

Pituitary-gonadal testing

46
Q

Describe ethinyloestradiol

A

5-10mg daily until puberty established

47
Q

Do you use growth hormone in delayed onset puberty

A

No, no benefit

48
Q

Describe how treatment for delayed onset puberty works

A

You give a low dose of testosterone to activate hypothalamic balance= GnRH= testosterone development. Testosterone is given as monthly injections. Sustanon is not very good as much is metabolised

49
Q

What do you have to be careful with when someone has delayed onset puberty

A

You don’t miss an underlying pathology

50
Q

How is oestrogen given to females

A

Orally

51
Q

How is testosterone given to males

A

Via intramuscular injections

52
Q

Describe Kallmann’s syndrome

A

Hypogonadotrophic, anosmia, usually X-linked, mutation in KAL 1 gene, olfactory hypo/agenesis. You have failure of pubertal development and no sense of smell (anosmia).

53
Q

Describe Prader-Willi syndrome

A

Neonatal hypotonia and poor feeding, later hyperphagia and obesity, behavioural problems, poor growth, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, loss of paternal allele at 15q11-13 (loss of paternal allele on long arm of chromosome 15), possible benefit from GH therapy. Failure of GnRH production= hypogonadism.

54
Q

Describe Turner’s syndrome

A

Missing/ major abnormality in X chromosome. Not all individuals have obvious features

55
Q

Describe vanishing testes

A

Can’t find testes as they have undergone torsion after 1st trimester

56
Q

What are the types of precocious puberty

A

Isolated breast development. Isolated pubic hair development and signs of androgen excess. Central precocious puberty. Gonadotrophin-independent precocious puberty. Other rare causes

57
Q

Describe isolated breast development

A

Premanture thelarce

58
Q

Describe isolated pubic hair development and signs of androgen excess

A

adrenarche, congenital adrenal hyperplasia- adrenal tumours

59
Q

Describe central precocious puberty

A

Idiopathic, 2y to intracranial tumours

60
Q

Describe gonadotrophin-independent precocious puberty

A

McCune-Albright syndrome, testotoxicosis

61
Q

Describe other rare causes of precocious puberty

A

Hypothyroidism, gonadotrophin secreting tumours, exogenous steroids, rare syndromes e.g. Kabuki

62
Q

Describe central precocious puberty

A

Cause of precocious puberty. Large tumour impairing feedback mechanism to prevent early onset puberty.

63
Q

What are type 1 neuropathies

A

A cause of precocious puberty

64
Q

Describe hypothalamic haematoma

A

A cause of precocious puberty. Activates hypothalamic pituitary axis

65
Q

Describe congenital adrenal hyperplasia

A

A cause of precocious puberty. No oestrogen (excess androgen), no breasts

66
Q

Describe ovarian granulosa cell tumour

A

A cause of precocious puberty. Large mass in pelvis, hormonally active so secretes oestrogen

67
Q

Describe gonadotrophin-releasing hepatoblastoma

A

A cause of precocious puberty. Low pH, liber tumour, secreting hCG, hCG binds to LH receptor resulting in testicular growth

68
Q

In boys what is often the underlying cause of precocious puberty

A

Something serious

69
Q

How do you treat premature thelarche and adrenarche

A

No treatment

70
Q

How do you treat secondary precocious puberty

A

Treat underlying condition (e.g. C.A.H, cerebral tumour etc.)

71
Q

How do you treat gonadotrophin dependent precocious puberty

A

LHRH analogue (need to replace missing hormones)

72
Q

How do you treat gonadotrophin independent precocious puberty

A

Anti-androgen (e.g. cyproterone, flutamide). Aromatase inhibior (e.g. tesolactone and spironolactone). Steroid biosynthesis inhibitor (e.g. ketoconazole). All harder to treat as not associated with gonasotrophin production. Possible use of growth hormone