Premature Adrenarche: Early Maturation of Adrenal Glands in Children
January 2018
in “
Pediatric annals
”
premature adrenarche adrenal glands adrenal androgens DHEA central precocious puberty congenital adrenal hyperplasia androgen exposure tumors ovarian hyperandrogenism androgen excess insulin resistance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy adrenal profiling early adrenal maturation dehydroepiandrosterone early puberty CAH excess androgens LC-MS/MS
TLDR Early adrenal gland maturation in young children can be normal, but other serious conditions should be ruled out first.
The document from 2018 examines premature adrenarche, the early maturation of adrenal glands causing increased adrenal androgens like DHEA in children under 8 (girls) and 9 (boys). It emphasizes the need to rule out other conditions such as central precocious puberty, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen exposure, and tumors before diagnosis. Premature adrenarche may be linked to low birth weight and subsequent obesity, and could predict adolescent ovarian hyperandrogenism. Management involves lifestyle changes for weight control and monitoring for androgen excess and insulin resistance. Diagnostic procedures include liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy for adrenal profiling. The document also addresses the need to differentiate between benign premature adrenarche and more serious conditions presenting with similar symptoms, noting that the prognosis for children with premature adrenarche is generally positive, with most not facing significant health issues later on.
