Endocrine Abstracts

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the coexistence of obesity in children with precocious puberty symptoms influences significantly the diagnostic process.

Material and methods: We retrospectively analysed a group of 200 children’s records (F/M 164/36) hospitalised because of precocious puberty suspicion. The analysis evaluated the nutritional status based on BMI percentile level, compatibility between the bone age and the chronological age; and the final clinical diagnosis.

Results: In the analysed group excessive body weight was found in 66 (33%) children – overweight in 34 (17%) and obesity in 32 (16%) patients respectively. It is noticeable that children with excessive body weight are significantly more likely to have mild variants of precocious puberty (71% vs 66.4%) despite the fact that the accelerated bone age in this group was more frequently observed (47% vs 24.6%). In the group with mild variant of PP and accelerated bone age (n=41 (28.9%)) up to 75.6% of children were overweight or obese. In the group of CPP accelerated BA was observed only in 23 (52.3%) children. Frequently recognized variant of PP in obese children was premature pubarche (n=20 (62.5%)).

Conclusions: Obesity and overweight significantly modifies puberty, and by accelerating the bone age can hinder the initial diagnosis of PP. The bone age acceleration seems to be poor indicator of central precocious puberty, especially in obese children. The population of overweight and obese children is dominated by a mild variant of precocious puberty – premature pubarche.