[Clinical thinking and decision making in practice. A 7-year old boy with rapid growth and pubic hair].

Abstract

A 7-year-old boy was tall, with a developing penis and initial growth of pubic hair. Due to the accelerated growth there was no premature adrenarche and due to the increased testicular volume there must have been a central cause for the production of androgens. Further specific investigations revealed an astrocytoma of the hypothalamus. After radiotherapy, the tumour exhibited no growth. The pubertal development was inhibited and the growth later stimulated by means of medication. In the case of pubertas praecox the growth chart and pubertal stages including testicular volume can help to differentiate between central and peripheral precocious puberty, narrow the diagnostic evaluation and reduce the time of the initial therapy.

• Authors: M Y Berents-Oosterhof, C Noordam, B J Otten
• Journal: Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde (Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd) Vol. 144 Issue 51 Pg. 2449-53 (Dec 16 2000) ISSN: 0028-2162 [Print] Netherlands
• Vernacular Title: Klinisch denken en beslissen in de praktijk. Een 7-jarige jongen met snelle groei en pubisbeharing.
• PMID: 11151653 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Astrocytoma (complications, diagnosis, therapy)
• Body Height
• Child
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Humans
• Hyperandrogenism (etiology)
• Hypothalamic Neoplasms (complications, diagnosis, therapy)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Puberty, Precocious (etiology)
• Treatment Outcome