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Sexual Precocity in a 16-Month-Old' U2 p. r, d% W e, W3 l8 _3 i- y1 ~$ D
Boy Induced by Indirect Topical1 r+ w+ H+ Y5 p) Q5 D0 x9 o* F# h
Exposure to Testosterone
3 G- H4 o C/ Z. p2 T* JSamar K. Bhowmick, MD, FACE,1 Tracy Ricke, MD,2
# E& `' r" R9 A' [9 t3 K- |6 f6 [; jand Kenneth R. Rettig, MD1; E0 @( ^: o5 d' j; P% u7 T
Clinical Pediatrics
/ C: u. x0 x- p* V6 K4 r4 S" }Volume 46 Number 6, j5 z) \3 a6 A, X& O" |& @
July 2007 540-543
7 \) r3 h: W& R1 e$ u) g: }- D' R- @© 2007 Sage Publications
" Q3 V6 o @3 F) _6 q10.1177/0009922806296651: T, T: `! s. Z5 L2 {
http://clp.sagepub.com- ~# i. |' o: X4 o. s% E
hosted at
2 A5 ?* j0 F" E7 X3 o- D" m. Shttp://online.sagepub.com/ R1 F# |) F% d. \- d- a
Precocious puberty in boys, central or peripheral,
0 t5 J# {( K! q5 r- `2 P" C- Y- Z" his a significant concern for physicians. Central( G$ `; C7 z; S
precocious puberty (CPP), which is mediated% L. B2 s) T& y% Z- I9 F7 h
through the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, has
- e& p$ o3 X( B1 a9 S% e& }* E% S/ ca higher incidence of organic central nervous system
6 t) s y4 {; V' v) G3 r& mlesions in boys.1,2 Virilization in boys, as manifested7 x& j) B: f& O% @
by enlargement of the penis, development of pubic3 z% j1 i, Q! u: B! M
hair, and facial acne without enlargement of testi-
8 E$ O; u7 K& q5 B) G# m7 ucles, suggests peripheral or pseudopuberty.1-3 We
6 K& g# y5 n. l( d1 E0 w$ _report a 16-month-old boy who presented with the8 l8 x$ K; v; m* r7 @8 c& \
enlargement of the phallus and pubic hair develop-
$ ?2 i# @, e: P% J) k* I( }ment without testicular enlargement, which was due M: Q- q# J# T2 Z) t
to the unintentional exposure to androgen gel used by) \/ M1 F9 g; l; S/ O5 I" m
the father. The family initially concealed this infor-! z9 n- w2 P; t% i7 ]! M/ S
mation, resulting in an extensive work-up for this
8 p+ q% g/ y( l( {+ W0 [child. Given the widespread and easy availability of7 M: L5 `1 q0 ]. t; M; v
testosterone gel and cream, we believe this is proba-
9 {/ X5 L" v( H, ]5 x; a8 A3 R Nbly more common than the rare case report in the! B2 v. H5 Q$ U* x$ P: A* C
literature.4
3 t. y* D- F* M# X9 K( KPatient Report% q% A x8 m7 u) m0 O3 l4 X
A 16-month-old white child was referred to the- M. Q6 S% |( v" k* `) l7 W( {
endocrine clinic by his pediatrician with the concern
( K, J1 m6 U9 T Z3 T8 hof early sexual development. His mother noticed1 M) h' r; _* G% S3 [- t/ _
light colored pubic hair development when he was
/ J4 }/ \1 J' c5 X& _; C4 t: WFrom the 1Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, 2University of
7 ?1 V% m! Q' F/ v4 PSouth Alabama Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama.
: i: o2 R* d& N0 F- xAddress correspondence to: Samar K. Bhowmick, MD, FACE,- i* Z! r a) u% O, m/ ?& D4 c
Professor of Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, College of
+ t# S' @: n, N, p/ v0 e' @& ^3 M7 V. PMedicine, 2451 Fillingim St. Mastin 212, Mobile, AL 36617-2297;1 V* E- g- E% l7 f
e-mail: [email protected].
! Z8 k/ `! a3 ^: d3 a& e, I4 Vabout 6 to 7 months old, which progressively became
! |" ]& V) X9 v" Bdarker. She was also concerned about the enlarge-
6 O+ }' J' o3 u L3 Bment of his penis and frequent erections. The child
. P- r% c3 R7 R% Y }was the product of a full-term normal delivery, with
" t8 C( G! p. i9 [/ b! b2 r0 ^# Va birth weight of 7 lb 14 oz, and birth length of( @/ e7 W" X2 P5 H! Z- p
20 inches. He was breast-fed throughout the first year
3 d2 v! [: |) [- c: [of life and was still receiving breast milk along with. @' J( V' `2 }9 H2 f9 }0 C: G
solid food. He had no hospitalizations or surgery,
; `6 g+ n9 l$ z& E4 E' w) pand his psychosocial and psychomotor development
" P! v4 k4 E% P, jwas age appropriate.
% M& w* G3 F' `0 G# C( pThe family history was remarkable for the father,2 _2 J Z4 Y8 H1 [% y
who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 16,
% t1 T3 ^, }( Y3 n- ], vwhich was treated with thyroxine. The father’s& B0 x1 C# O8 [" f7 G
height was 6 feet, and he went through a somewhat: J) y& R& y2 t9 O- H. ?
early puberty and had stopped growing by age 14.
0 a4 {. n2 [2 ^5 k; z$ jThe father denied taking any other medication. The
: G) q, X% Z3 |: z; w1 Gchild’s mother was in good health. Her menarche
1 w* T F2 Y! a1 Kwas at 11 years of age, and her height was at 5 feet
) Z9 A5 k' i o. G5 inches. There was no other family history of pre-1 s, ^8 c4 k- c- k- y8 { q
cocious sexual development in the first-degree rela-
1 l5 _, H9 _, O5 K3 \ n! {tives. There were no siblings.
' q) L2 A9 K1 S& Z: GPhysical Examination
% B1 t" _' R3 G4 R8 TThe physical examination revealed a very active,! S. }* @) Y' y
playful, and healthy boy. The vital signs documented
7 K8 p2 l, [( ]. F. v* j4 za blood pressure of 85/50 mm Hg, his length was
5 E. h2 n3 f* s8 K: H/ {90 cm (>97th percentile), and his weight was 14.4 kg1 R; [! A+ c; c+ Y' W# M
(also >97th percentile). The observed yearly growth
- v3 h. p1 x! _/ [/ u2 p) v3 ]velocity was 30 cm (12 inches). The examination of/ S- D. E) b4 n. j
the neck revealed no thyroid enlargement.& f8 I# d" M! r E: |) M/ q! Q3 f
The genitourinary examination was remarkable for
( v8 ^ `# P: |- zenlargement of the penis, with a stretched length of
3 @4 q! _% k- F+ K/ C% S8 cm and a width of 2 cm. The glans penis was very well
/ E: M- D1 ~4 k4 W* Bdeveloped. The pubic hair was Tanner II, mostly around
1 r8 _0 X% `3 r" `( n! m, k. G540$ c2 P8 V1 Y% R$ ?
at University of Manchester Library on May 25, 2015 cpj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
0 X2 H, O8 c& X0 w; z* ~, [the base of the phallus and was dark and curled. The8 h5 o* R6 E$ M/ _; K* [& G
testicular volume was prepubertal at 2 mL each.& X: p$ l% b& Z2 C d
The skin was moist and smooth and somewhat m+ Q) L4 v4 F5 x
oily. No axillary hair was noted. There were no
& p4 m1 [3 z: Q$ g) T/ Tabnormal skin pigmentations or café-au-lait spots.
" P H. m* H3 h$ @/ S8 QNeurologic evaluation showed deep tendon reflex 2+. n" m) M9 V! f: k0 E4 W
bilateral and symmetrical. There was no suggestion' H+ ?) N# i* z: R8 g4 q# q
of papilledema.
' r4 P' i2 j6 \% @# ~) aLaboratory Evaluation
) q: q! I0 ~9 B! u2 FThe bone age was consistent with 28 months by, f; P% Z! c( y1 C' S2 o1 A* U
using the standard of Greulich and Pyle at a chrono-2 ^0 l T, L2 u( `# A" U' @$ ]& C6 Z
logic age of 16 months (advanced).5 Chromosomal
. [& Q; P! |) X. z" t- tkaryotype was 46XY. The thyroid function test
5 R- K% N& O8 v- p+ ?/ fshowed a free T4 of 1.69 ng/dL, and thyroid stimu-3 j" A$ `+ O8 W+ o$ y9 n9 t/ J
lating hormone level was 1.3 µIU/mL (both normal).
# ~; B+ \) ^6 {& W# N: hThe concentrations of serum electrolytes, blood
8 a( \, Z1 U! v9 Gurea nitrogen, creatinine, and calcium all were
* q. Z/ [) o+ X' G- i! h3 [within normal range for his age. The concentration) H1 g5 }- I' H: x
of serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone was 16 ng/dL3 i5 R8 Z! S+ h# m8 d% `
(normal, 3 to 90 ng/dL), androstenedione was 20
, Y$ A3 H. {- g' ?0 r, Ong/dL (normal, 18 to 80 ng/dL), dehydroepiandros-, g* P, W( a( n. I
terone was 38 ng/dL (normal, 50 to 760 ng/dL),9 e F4 \! A* N8 d2 D
desoxycorticosterone was 4.3 ng/dL (normal, 7 to! j/ z' x. r$ J4 r k" c- i
49ng/dL), 11-desoxycortisol (specific compound S)3 t E. o( r7 l E# l6 v8 u8 Y m! u
was 43 ng/dL (normal, 10 to 156 ng/dL), serum cor-. V6 z q0 s* C6 s/ v: E$ Y
tisol was 7.6 µg/dL (normal, 2.8 to 23 µg/dL), total& H# N5 [2 d: d4 \/ F- A
testosterone was 60 ng/dL (normal <3 to 10 ng/dL),
/ X( h' d2 @$ n; j* e6 P& y; e, V( ]and β-human chorionic gonadotropin was less than) c8 D8 h! r# u$ i2 T$ F) Z
5 mIU/mL (normal <5 mIU/mL). Serum follicular
( ^4 j6 u+ K2 X/ ?4 Gstimulating hormone and leuteinizing hormone
, m1 ^2 O8 t, m/ ]/ E* f( fconcentrations were less than 0.05 mIU/mL0 p9 R) w4 [1 B% j' s, D, w
(prepubertal).2 s8 S- P' ~3 U, d& m" d+ e
The parents were notified about the laboratory G, b, t/ S A' m" j7 N- l% J" A4 C
results and were informed that all of the tests were9 W" S. m/ b3 j; P) i
normal except the testosterone level was high. The9 x# J9 k: ] `# G) R) ~
follow-up visit was arranged within a few weeks to
% q1 f* A, h3 y" Iobtain testicular and abdominal sonograms; how-
3 P6 U1 K( s }; [8 L" T# o1 Lever, the family did not return for 4 months.
0 w: ^8 D9 N/ K" d( z9 V3 G7 hPhysical examination at this time revealed that the
% |8 _5 o" y# jchild had grown 2.5 cm in 4 months and had gained W# ?- O( B$ i5 f+ c) X
2 kg of weight. Physical examination remained
! K% F* l$ g2 s+ O; u) ]" ?* bunchanged. Surprisingly, the pubic hair almost com-
9 L9 C& V7 {) @5 L" y$ Y/ n* D1 {; `* x3 |pletely disappeared except for a few vellous hairs at' [4 V# O" ?! A" E- u9 f5 T
the base of the phallus. Testicular volume was still 2
/ _0 Z: r' N4 T7 v5 `9 P3 L8 vmL, and the size of the penis remained unchanged.
3 u: E: y \) k* WThe mother also said that the boy was no longer hav-
4 x3 P2 w8 m# i! @( x2 r! @! Fing frequent erections.
7 u, b' U7 `' c: LBoth parents were again questioned about use of
8 }# d9 ]' N3 A9 E& E* L4 Jany ointment/creams that they may have applied to
3 f: s2 l. g" d# @the child’s skin. This time the father admitted the( r. n; p( k. @* \% l) \$ j# p) W D
Topical Testosterone Exposure / Bhowmick et al 5410 r( S- Z- w9 N: W4 m
use of testosterone gel twice daily that he was apply-
7 t3 f+ x$ |% Z3 R. v, ^ing over his own shoulders, chest, and back area for
3 E2 @" t' `- F4 Za year. The father also revealed he was embarrassed
) g( ^0 V' X# P: a; _% q1 w- Uto disclose that he was using a testosterone gel pre-, t; Y z) @1 J! Z7 o$ W9 A, G
scribed by his family physician for decreased libido3 T$ W A4 P, ^2 u
secondary to depression.
6 ?$ U$ l1 Z3 u9 PThe child slept in the same bed with parents.7 ?5 @* A3 X1 Z X G& \
The father would hug the baby and hold him on his* ]! M2 x5 R8 [2 I
chest for a considerable period of time, causing sig-
) U2 v4 ]4 [4 y; J7 ynificant bare skin contact between baby and father.* T# A/ T# U# F3 m8 o; S
The father also admitted that after the phone call,
3 J; g* p& F f1 }/ M# Z) m1 ?% ywhen he learned the testosterone level in the baby
6 j* u9 m1 H- W D6 Ywas high, he then read the product information
% \! g$ d; I' B3 X! [0 `packet and concluded that it was most likely the rea-8 f; A! a( `( g! s
son for the child’s virilization. At that time, they
( w9 d! b. _9 O* K3 u7 [( edecided to put the baby in a separate bed, and the
* D. f7 y0 ^ t$ d) Z {father was not hugging him with bare skin and had
* N5 r# `' C2 }1 k4 `& C% tbeen using protective clothing. A repeat testosterone
M- L- B$ `+ M q; c+ w& Jtest was ordered, but the family did not go to the
5 h5 Y$ f+ M* w+ j0 P3 llaboratory to obtain the test.
! M& ]4 A- B9 V0 k& h! j: lDiscussion
5 |" V- E* M$ e8 ]4 J, c% QPrecocious puberty in boys is defined as secondary6 d8 M7 C3 x0 U1 S* m% e# i0 }
sexual development before 9 years of age.1,4( g1 p% w0 H! H d' X% i
Precocious puberty is termed as central (true) when9 x- \9 M. U! M; [# B; `# H9 o
it is caused by the premature activation of hypo-
) f2 p1 d; G5 r6 a& uthalamic pituitary gonadal axis. CPP is more com-
m3 Y* t: E2 e: O: S1 _mon in girls than in boys.1,3 Most boys with CPP! j1 r) f7 J' s4 w# o$ E2 B
may have a central nervous system lesion that is
9 p; x. }0 F, e7 w! Tresponsible for the early activation of the hypothal-/ e, h* |2 O: a2 g3 ?' X+ c5 ]
amic pituitary gonadal axis.1-3 Thus, greater empha-2 K- ?5 @5 d0 g/ q) L" i3 R
sis has been given to neuroradiologic imaging in/ v# A" c4 y8 }% k N
boys with precocious puberty. In addition to viril-& ?% g) j* R C! P6 h
ization, the clinical hallmark of CPP is the symmet-+ C! r7 M1 @$ M6 @1 t
rical testicular growth secondary to stimulation by
# \; L6 V) c8 l0 u9 Lgonadotropins.1,3. i: a6 L) a9 r
Gonadotropin-independent peripheral preco-# d6 W4 `/ J1 ~! Z" i
cious puberty in boys also results from inappropriate
5 U! c8 k; m$ y& ?, n! wandrogenic stimulation from either endogenous or# Q# j2 C0 L4 c* x
exogenous sources, nonpituitary gonadotropin stim-, I8 B- Y3 e3 n
ulation, and rare activating mutations.3 Virilizing1 }+ ]0 @; V" u# |) v( S' c
congenital adrenal hyperplasia producing excessive
# ?! A! a) J3 }) r9 Cadrenal androgens is a common cause of precocious- S5 {0 S& Q! u6 _! H
puberty in boys.3,4
, R) X& K) ?1 @0 F1 }The most common form of congenital adrenal
$ R) K5 ~, S( f. jhyperplasia is the 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency.3 v" d' b4 G1 H2 E. p" `* C r- f
The 11-β hydroxylase deficiency may also result in9 S+ r, g( V. ^. ?$ p
excessive adrenal androgen production, and rarely,. Z* `9 U4 e+ T
an adrenal tumor may also cause adrenal androgen
6 i2 x2 W& D; D' p0 t" Uexcess.1,3- a* A; X& q; i$ T8 l/ q8 o
at University of Manchester Library on May 25, 2015 cpj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
$ D$ M* J$ c. R3 C' ~ p4 n h542 Clinical Pediatrics / Vol. 46, No. 6, July 2007
$ m& l3 l5 I( SA unique entity of male-limited gonadotropin-# e7 s0 r- E5 U: f
independent precocious puberty, which is also known$ o0 {3 _" E- s# W( k4 p
as testotoxicosis, may cause precocious puberty at a- p* J& e1 z8 F; f
very young age. The physical findings in these boys8 W( p( Q# z1 C8 r2 Q
with this disorder are full pubertal development,
' |$ U9 H; z5 d# k. K: N( ?including bilateral testicular growth, similar to boys
, x; F1 g f* V9 j0 w0 V- Iwith CPP. The gonadotropin levels in this disorder4 o/ j# x& K9 n; `( b" G: u# J
are suppressed to prepubertal levels and do not show
9 G) z# _0 `. y3 e0 G0 o$ ^; Cpubertal response of gonadotropin after gonadotropin-
5 E L' o. B9 G* E) Treleasing hormone stimulation. This is a sex-linked; d: {& Q: B4 L( H
autosomal dominant disorder that affects only1 M5 _5 e/ W/ J: O
males; therefore, other male members of the family
- C) @8 b7 Y# J6 `4 Imay have similar precocious puberty.39 g( H# A G& G0 P$ r
In our patient, physical examination was incon-+ G! c4 } d9 E- v
sistent with true precocious puberty since his testi-3 ]: a$ e5 @7 I3 |7 S6 U& ~
cles were prepubertal in size. However, testotoxicosis
# M& {0 n; V# O! I- J5 cwas in the differential diagnosis because his father
6 v( L5 E' Z& Ystarted puberty somewhat early, and occasionally,
7 ?; N8 w& z; ]6 S# w1 X5 Ctesticular enlargement is not that evident in the$ j5 w3 H* ~) b% _* q
beginning of this process.1 In the absence of a neg-
# p! U, Z3 z6 G5 Y8 E k E1 p: j# Native initial history of androgen exposure, our8 N: U3 G5 I% l) d. @5 x0 o
biggest concern was virilizing adrenal hyperplasia,
' X6 d2 x8 C2 M! |; K1 L: geither 21-hydroxylase deficiency or 11-β hydroxylase* @; M1 U% f1 M% p
deficiency. Those diagnoses were excluded by find-
1 |5 O+ p/ i; Z7 o* L7 C( fing the normal level of adrenal steroids.
% P$ E# e; W' E' m; A# i ]$ sThe diagnosis of exogenous androgens was strongly
- B6 {+ [/ T. l' S Hsuspected in a follow-up visit after 4 months because
) f, ~ j4 o, I' ]the physical examination revealed the complete disap-
! f/ s" q5 B+ J2 a4 E% Xpearance of pubic hair, normal growth velocity, and* z- k+ E1 d# P, `5 T7 A
decreased erections. The father admitted using a testos-# l" Y: F* r, |
terone gel, which he concealed at first visit. He was; F# ~4 u& `- B0 `, O8 z& z" J
using it rather frequently, twice a day. The Physicians’
1 ^: n' V& `8 _) F0 o LDesk Reference, or package insert of this product, gel or
+ C# A1 m8 l) [0 r, q; m- G$ L% B, Z8 Ncream, cautions about dermal testosterone transfer to
( `) r+ a( t7 j: D* O I; eunprotected females through direct skin exposure.: K4 E3 X% n! Q6 [* S h5 `
Serum testosterone level was found to be 2 times the0 |$ \# }9 u% s( j/ r$ S3 O! G+ g
baseline value in those females who were exposed to
, C7 o$ V+ X& Leven 15 minutes of direct skin contact with their male
8 i2 b- v) K$ n! |9 h1 n$ |( F9 Spartners.6 However, when a shirt covered the applica-
. V( W4 A/ {9 K) g8 k; A4 v, Gtion site, this testosterone transfer was prevented.8 V5 `4 V# e/ ^8 l. {+ _
Our patient’s testosterone level was 60 ng/mL,; \ I; `; J# U: J8 k
which was clearly high. Some studies suggest that+ K3 k) Q7 Y% _" k% c
dermal conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestos-
) X; x$ j ]3 Y5 n- A' nterone, which is a more potent metabolite, is more: {# u: q# d4 ?3 V
active in young children exposed to testosterone" k' T5 }2 m# @- |0 S y
exogenously7; however, we did not measure a dihy-
/ r& _: y2 F% r/ u( _% v2 Ndrotestosterone level in our patient. In addition to @& z! d- T9 Q$ }5 T
virilization, exposure to exogenous testosterone in
) ]( T2 p: W) \1 E: Xchildren results in an increase in growth velocity and$ F! s/ G8 Q) `( l2 B1 Z! w
advanced bone age, as seen in our patient.( z; q" r; r2 Z/ _; V! A+ s
The long-term effect of androgen exposure during8 w' D# e3 B7 q9 z" q$ B S
early childhood on pubertal development and final7 N* f: r7 n K8 R' ^ u$ L. g
adult height are not fully known and always remain
0 [" g- v2 Q3 k% ia concern. Children treated with short-term testos-7 j, U+ ~. `/ W& k
terone injection or topical androgen may exhibit some
2 F; M8 {" a& {: ?acceleration of the skeletal maturation; however, after
+ |' f) k9 ]1 w5 _: M6 I, ]. ecessation of treatment, the rate of bone maturation
$ x |4 E8 n% w- b, k3 Cdecelerates and gradually returns to normal.8,9. l; i5 b, R9 \# s* z
There are conflicting reports and controversy$ U: b+ [9 a( `% d- @
over the effect of early androgen exposure on adult
, M4 U7 g- E5 R+ d5 b$ fpenile length.10,11 Some reports suggest subnormal
& y- T v0 W$ M# U* c; ~; J$ p4 Ladult penile length, apparently because of downreg-
; b* v0 n( `) Y* V ?2 Bulation of androgen receptor number.10,12 However,2 n( M. r$ I' {# D
Sutherland et al13 did not find a correlation between
: R8 J& b$ Y# achildhood testosterone exposure and reduced adult% d5 j$ k% s9 Q0 M* P0 V8 ~
penile length in clinical studies.
; S- y2 W2 B1 z# |' r. }Nonetheless, we do not believe our patient is
& b9 J0 C0 |5 `+ @1 m, n% {going to experience any of the untoward effects from
5 @$ C: z9 ?" s8 L- q% T1 atestosterone exposure as mentioned earlier because
7 s7 j9 n9 Q+ q4 v) Nthe exposure was not for a prolonged period of time.4 L- ?& `( s, C: D
Although the bone age was advanced at the time of* |( l' G; b( p# c$ u( `( N# d
diagnosis, the child had a normal growth velocity at, w c* n! A9 |
the follow-up visit. It is hoped that his final adult6 N6 h- i f$ W) D, q; ^, l/ t6 ~' o
height will not be affected.
2 n& V! b% d6 Q; Q3 U- c; GAlthough rarely reported, the widespread avail-$ Q. Z. r( `. O! o% `8 C
ability of androgen products in our society may6 f% C$ r6 _# g0 ^
indeed cause more virilization in male or female. I+ r$ W! u/ B8 U8 B5 S2 D
children than one would realize. Exposure to andro-
7 U1 g( Q9 ]' N. d6 c3 t. p% q( _gen products must be considered and specific ques-5 g: j1 k+ b9 K9 J3 v: o+ ~
tioning about the use of a testosterone product or, L6 _& d& r" M& o
gel should be asked of the family members during
; l w. [3 A! y Bthe evaluation of any children who present with vir-0 {+ m/ c2 U8 p7 l q' r5 ]
ilization or peripheral precocious puberty. The diag-9 M3 B$ z, r1 m* l
nosis can be established by just a few tests and by
! s8 A/ i! Q. j' v% ~. ]appropriate history. The inability to obtain such a
/ K3 d6 _5 C0 }) thistory, or failure to ask the specific questions, may
/ o! _7 H& f& \result in extensive, unnecessary, and expensive3 P! l$ g5 x* h
investigation. The primary care physician should be
5 w' e, K$ V* baware of this fact, because most of these children+ E! ^) N6 p, J( G
may initially present in their practice. The Physicians’
; K9 _/ I, \! a- C! n7 [* v1 dDesk Reference and package insert should also put a
. @% ] l* l) swarning about the virilizing effect on a male or
8 L- Y7 D: l+ h$ Nfemale child who might come in contact with some-
( C5 G* l. @6 X' q! mone using any of these products.
/ b6 u9 \) _: G- e/ H3 l% \! u; Y0 aReferences
3 S* H% h4 \( b" K1 s, h" X8 A1. Styne DM. The testes: disorder of sexual differentiation4 m% p9 p# R3 ]* m
and puberty in the male. In: Sperling MA, ed. Pediatric. y5 L U9 X# A, `1 w3 _1 ?
Endocrinology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders;
& P6 D* L- S6 |: C- q# [2002: 565-628.. }7 ^1 e" H9 H$ g" l- I
2. Rivarola M, Belgorosky A, Mendilaharzu H, et al. Precocious
& R4 \0 Q7 {) Dpuberty in children with tumours of the suprasellar pineal |
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