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Central Precocious Puberty

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Pituitary Disorders throughout the Life Cycle

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Abstract

Central precocious puberty (CPP), also known as gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty or true precocious puberty, results from the premature activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis and leads to the early appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. CPP can be due to congenital or acquired insults to the central nervous system, genetic syndromes and other genetic causes, or idiopathic. The first step in diagnosing CPP is obtaining a thorough history and performing a physical examination, followed by laboratory studies (luteinizing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] in boys and girls, estradiol level in girls, and serum testosterone level in boys) and pertinent radiologic testing (bone age radiograph, pelvic ultrasound, and/or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain). Treatment, if indicated, consists of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Noreen Islam

  2. Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Briana C. Patterson

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  1. Noreen Islam
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  2. Briana C. Patterson
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Correspondence to Briana C. Patterson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Susan L. Samson

  2. Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Adriana G. Ioachimescu

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Islam, N., Patterson, B.C. (2022). Central Precocious Puberty. In: Samson, S.L., Ioachimescu, A.G. (eds) Pituitary Disorders throughout the Life Cycle. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99918-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99918-6_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-99918-6

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