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Pelvic sonography and uterine artery color Doppler analysis in the diagnosis of female precocious puberty
Author(s) -
Battaglia C.,
Regnani G.,
Mancini F.,
Iughetti L.,
Venturoli S.,
Flamigni C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.202
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1469-0705
pISSN - 0960-7692
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-0705.2002.00669.x
Subject(s) - medicine , uterine artery , precocious puberty , breast development , polycystic ovary , pulsatility index , pubic hair , color doppler , artery , gynecology , endocrinology , hormone , ultrasonography , radiology , pregnancy , fetus , gestation , insulin resistance , genetics , insulin , biology
Objectives To evaluate the role of ultrasound and color Doppler analyses in the diagnosis of precocious puberty. Methods Gray‐scale sonographic uterine and ovarian evaluation together with color Doppler analysis of the uterine artery were prospectively performed in 29 girls presenting with premature breast development and pubic hair growth. The values were compared with results obtained from the gonodotrophin releasing hormone stimulation test. Excluded from the study were patients with isolated thelarche or isolated pubarche and those patients with gonodotrophin releasing hormone‐independent puberty and with polycystic ovaries. Results According to the Tanner scale, all the girls presented a breast stage of 2–3 and pubic hair stage 2–3. The uterine size was greater in those girls who presented a pubertal response to the gonodotrophin releasing hormone test (Group II; n = 20) (8.07 ± 4.47 mL) than in those who did not (Group I; n = 9) (3.07 ± 1.18 mL; P = 0.001). The ovarian volume and the number of small follicles was not significantly different between the groups. On Doppler analysis, more elevated impedances were observed in Group I (pulsatility index = 3.28 ± 0.37) than in Group II (pulsatility index = 2.29 ± 0.19; P = 0.001) girls. The presence of a low pulsatility index (<2.5) at the level of the uterine arteries had a high diagnostic value for precocious puberty (sensitivity 86%, specificity 100%). Conclusions Uterine artery Doppler analysis may assist the diagnosis of gonodotrophin releasing hormone‐dependent precocious puberty, may be useful for the selection of those girls needing treatment, and may simplify the follow‐up of girls treated for precocities. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG