The role of ultrasound, X-ray and other imaging modalities in the diagnosis of precocious puberty

Posted by: Master, Doctor Tong Diu Huong - Diagnostic Imaging Department - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Precocious puberty is when a child's body begins to change into an adult (puberty) too soon. Precocious puberty is diagnosed when puberty begins before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys.

Puberty includes rapid growth of bones and muscles, changes in body shape, size and fertility.
The cause of precocious puberty is often difficult to determine. Occasionally, certain conditions that can cause precocious puberty can be identified, such as an infection, hormone disorder, tumor, or brain injury.
Treatment of precocious puberty is usually medical treatment to delay further physical growth.

Early development can make babies initially taller when compared to their peers. When puberty ends, height growth stops. Because the skeleton matures and bone growth stops at an earlier age than normal, children with precocious puberty, if left untreated, will not reach their full height.
Precocious puberty can also be difficult for children emotionally and socially. It makes girls feel shy, ashamed because they feel different from their peers, teased by their friends for having enlarged breasts or looking older.
Even emotions and behavior can change in children with precocious puberty. Girls can become moody and irritable. Boys can also become more aggressive and may develop a sexual orientation that is not appropriate for their age.

Diagnosis of precocious puberty is based on the following symptoms:
Breast growth and first menstrual cycle in girls. Enlarged testicles and penis, facial hair and deep voice in boys. Having pubic or armpit hair Fast growth Acne Adult body odor

To diagnose precocious puberty, your doctor may order:
Blood tests to look for high levels of sex hormones. X-rays of the bones of the hand can show whether the bones are maturing too soon. Mammography helps to assess the maturity of breast tissue objectively. Uterine-ovarian ultrasound helps determine the size of the uterus-ovaries, the number of follicles, whether there are dominant follicles, and whether there are abnormal tumors or not. Testicular ultrasound identifies testicular size and abnormal tumors. Abdominal ultrasound looks for sex hormone-secreting tumors such as adrenal tumors, liver tumors, etc. Sometimes, an MRI is done to rule out rare causes of precocious puberty, such as precocious puberty. such as a tumor in the brain, ovaries, or testicles. Early detection and diagnosis are very important so that doctors can treat them early. This will help them maintain their potential height and limit the emotional and social stress they may face as they mature early.