Evaluation of Premature Pubarche Cases: Single Center Experience

The study retrospectively evaluated 117 cases of premature pubarche (PP) in children, primarily girls, who exhibited pubic or axillary hair growth before the age of 8 for girls and 9 for boys. The mean follow-up period was 16.2 months. Findings indicated that 53.7% of girls and 56% of boys were overweight, and 21% of all patients had low birth weight. Elevated serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were observed in 76.5% of patients, correlating with advanced bone age. Among the cases, 80% were diagnosed with PP, 11% with central precocious puberty (CPP), 7.3% as carriers of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and 2.7% with classical CAH. The study concluded that differential diagnosis should be conducted carefully both initially and during follow-up, as 20% of PP cases were found to have other clinical pathologies. Mildly advanced bone age did not negatively impact final height.