Precocious Puberty and Its Treatment

Recent publications primarily relate to advances in central precocious puberty (CPP), with little new information concerning the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral precocious puberty (PPP). New information concerning CPP is centered on newer treatment options, all of which involve newer modes of delivering Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone analog therapy. Recent publications about CPP and the association with CNS lesions, malnutrition and catch-up growth and more efficient ways to predict and document pubertal luteinizing hormone secretion will be discussed. In this article, we will review these newer developments as well as psychological issues, sexual behavior, bone mineral density and body mass index in relation to CPP and its treatment, as well as long-term outcome information on adults previously treated for CPP. Over time, additional observations have allowed a refinement of the diagnostic process, the definition of characteristics during therapy, and more verification of outcome and safety parameters. In summary, a combination of findings should be used to help document the diagnosis of CPP, and therapy should be considered when progression may cause untimely development and limited growth, while the dosing used and the best tools for monitoring therapy effectiveness remain unclear.