英文摘要 |
Purposes: Some patients with premature thelarche will progress to precocious puberty, and their epiphyseal plates will fuse earlier, affecting their final height. Our intention was to ascertain the prognosis of primary care clinic patients presenting with isolated premature thelarche on their initial visit. Methods: A total of six premature thelarche patients visited our primary care clinic from 2011 to 2015. On their first visit, we rated all patients for breast development and pubic hair growth by the use of the Tanner stages, and estimated their bone ages using left hand X-rays. In addition, we tested their hormone profiles, including FSH(follicular-stimulating hormone), LH(luteinizing hormone), TSH(thyroid-stimulating hormone), prolactin, ACTH(adrenocorticotropic hormone), GH(growth hormone), estradiol, and testosterone levels. In July 2015, we collected the patients’ data with regards to their sexual maturity history by telephone interviews with the patients’ mothers. Results: We found all patients’ bone ages matched their chronological ages, and their hormone profiles were within normal limits, except for one patient who had a higher prolactin level. Some of the patients’ breasts stayed at the early stage of development, and some of them returned to being undeveloped. All the patients did not progress into precocious puberty, and none had early pubic hair development or menarche. Conclusions: Primary care practitioners should determine whether a patient with premature thelarche has already met the diagnostic criteria of precocious puberty at their initial clinic visit. For girls with isolated premature thelarche, practitioners should regularly follow up the patients’sexual maturity stages using the Tanner scales and ascertaining bone age using X-rays in outpatient clinics. |