Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: To study significance of risk factors in puberty delay in boys.

Materials and methods: We examined 54 boys (mean age 13.8 years) with constitutional puberty delay (CPD). All examinees underwent general clinical examination as well as biochemical and hormonal investigations (levels of GH, LH, FSH, free testosterone, prolactin, cortisol, TSH, etc.), having their bone age and anthropometric parameters by Tanner-Whitehouse measured and their sexual development stage by Tanner assessed.

Results: By their sexual development the boys could be attributed to stage I by Tanner in the average, though the III one is normal. Mean testicular volume was 4.98±3.6 ml. As to mean levels of hormones, free testosterone was 1.21 nmol/l, LH and FSH being respectively 2.7 and 3.4 mIU/l, GH measuring 2.3 ng/ml, TSH 2.4 mIU/l, cortisol 106.5 ng/ml, thyroxine 96.9 nmol/l and triiodothyronine 1.7 ng/ml. The boys’ mean height was 125.5 cm (SDS>−2). The findings above demonstrated delay in activation of hypothalamo-pituitary–gonads system. Familial low stature (n=45, 84%), perinatal traumas (n=23, 42.5%), brain injuries (n=19, 29.6%), BMI>30 (n=16, 29.6%), complicated pregnancy in mother (n=15, 28%), smoking (n=5, 9.2%), frequent stresses (n=15, 28%) and colds (n=5, 9.2%) were found to predominate among the risk determinants of CPD.

Conclusions: Constitutional puberty delay in the examinees has been found determined by familial low stature, brain injuries, perinatal traumas, BMI>30 and frequent stresses.