Patient's question:
A child is 9 years and 3 months old. There is a hard lump the size of a coin in the breast, which is painful to touch. It has been about 10 days. Is it precocious puberty? No examination has been done yet. What tests need to be done?Doctor's answer:
Precocious puberty refers to girls who exhibit secondary sexual development abnormalities before the age of 8. Based on pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, it is divided into central precocious puberty and peripheral precocious puberty. The causes of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction mainly include nutritional excess, environmental pollution, and visual stimulation. Clinical symptoms include secondary sexual development in girls before the age of 8 and in boys before the age of 9. Diagnostic tests include bone age assessment, ultrasound examination, sex hormone testing, and GnRH or similar stimulatory tests.