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Sexual Precocity in a 16-Month-Old
! ]" v8 d! E' F' T! q2 K4 S; zBoy Induced by Indirect Topical6 ]2 S; @7 B' b) q
Exposure to Testosterone
& i# o7 Q: y; `3 `6 F, I) K8 GSamar K. Bhowmick, MD, FACE,1 Tracy Ricke, MD,2
$ ~% A3 `# g5 Z4 N! ~# cand Kenneth R. Rettig, MD1
5 T6 f+ M* `2 O& {4 {Clinical Pediatrics
1 b I* q7 m/ G/ j* | [( J: i8 qVolume 46 Number 6
4 U$ ^9 a+ O( u( W- GJuly 2007 540-543: b( U" \6 {8 u8 [, d3 [
© 2007 Sage Publications
1 \, y: W) V; ~9 a# `8 ~10.1177/0009922806296651
0 @) i. [' `- {: {* I, [http://clp.sagepub.com% d# X6 D$ |9 H
hosted at
2 C& d, |( G+ h; L8 vhttp://online.sagepub.com2 x1 ~' m0 W, j+ q1 l' H8 a$ b; }. l
Precocious puberty in boys, central or peripheral,$ j9 W3 M8 Q) p- X9 J3 Y9 v
is a significant concern for physicians. Central3 b! x# C$ u8 |2 @ J
precocious puberty (CPP), which is mediated6 |2 E* c7 z( _. \
through the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, has9 q7 m. A, Z5 P
a higher incidence of organic central nervous system
( n( B1 }) h& y+ z+ U& V' l; d8 ?lesions in boys.1,2 Virilization in boys, as manifested/ B1 B# q! _9 {, V8 }* K1 U
by enlargement of the penis, development of pubic
& a6 |' y( C. D! hhair, and facial acne without enlargement of testi-
8 @% k- E* b8 T- ]cles, suggests peripheral or pseudopuberty.1-3 We
* A4 }0 K! k/ p( G7 a' I% p* Qreport a 16-month-old boy who presented with the/ F, s/ r/ K- N3 x- f
enlargement of the phallus and pubic hair develop-( W5 \# ~, ~1 m5 h* {
ment without testicular enlargement, which was due
1 t2 g+ @6 p( Y" X' lto the unintentional exposure to androgen gel used by1 |, ~9 F+ N( `7 O2 M
the father. The family initially concealed this infor-
7 N) w& Z7 V( W& Dmation, resulting in an extensive work-up for this
4 ^) R- [' e! Q/ Xchild. Given the widespread and easy availability of9 m; z: f4 o8 O3 z0 A! J- B$ h7 X4 z
testosterone gel and cream, we believe this is proba-
1 q* l' M# e0 C& |& v- rbly more common than the rare case report in the' C' @- c- g2 P9 X! P- n
literature.4
$ |1 ]2 s# L$ c) d+ X8 ]Patient Report
4 ?' F3 b1 |) j6 x# B1 jA 16-month-old white child was referred to the5 Y! f; f3 G( p2 A O* o
endocrine clinic by his pediatrician with the concern
- U( l; |9 E$ o* h# m6 Nof early sexual development. His mother noticed
4 e1 S6 y+ c2 F& klight colored pubic hair development when he was
# M2 O. j1 b% v/ K$ EFrom the 1Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, 2University of
3 u0 K, c0 u" X+ PSouth Alabama Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama.
& w7 i8 D! R0 l: I" O8 f RAddress correspondence to: Samar K. Bhowmick, MD, FACE,
/ C# `8 D- n% S# ]' ~; d/ J2 pProfessor of Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, College of' l- w; [6 [4 F3 j
Medicine, 2451 Fillingim St. Mastin 212, Mobile, AL 36617-2297;5 \" i9 `! A) S% C
e-mail: [email protected].$ p& Z2 K0 p0 A9 e0 T: s1 T$ Q
about 6 to 7 months old, which progressively became5 }( v, M: Q5 {# `; M3 Q, s' f
darker. She was also concerned about the enlarge-, K7 H: U1 S/ u9 s, _
ment of his penis and frequent erections. The child6 Q% c2 ]/ j/ w- E# V) Y& z
was the product of a full-term normal delivery, with
5 a+ H& f ^2 g+ Z( N6 ka birth weight of 7 lb 14 oz, and birth length of+ @5 T* S0 m9 S! I. Y; o5 L
20 inches. He was breast-fed throughout the first year- }' \7 I# i/ q7 Q$ a( ]
of life and was still receiving breast milk along with3 s3 t5 }; E' p, z- O
solid food. He had no hospitalizations or surgery,
, x j V. \) p) Y% Xand his psychosocial and psychomotor development
) H' p7 j x7 _& x O* v! j/ X, Ewas age appropriate.
, F5 y; q* D. w7 ]' yThe family history was remarkable for the father,
* Y6 o7 w2 y) O/ d; ]3 d! S; R- iwho was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 16,
8 e. |, n1 P/ m$ Y6 f6 t; Owhich was treated with thyroxine. The father’s
% p3 K5 S* k, _4 Dheight was 6 feet, and he went through a somewhat
% s. A6 I1 W" e* U! a) ~early puberty and had stopped growing by age 14.! c5 G3 W( @' q5 _' y
The father denied taking any other medication. The
. L( H+ g) o& f, b. O2 A4 xchild’s mother was in good health. Her menarche# W6 P' m- r: ^1 _: H
was at 11 years of age, and her height was at 5 feet9 U2 T" ^% r0 \, K0 g) Q8 s
5 inches. There was no other family history of pre-
$ W$ @! R$ K4 R n" v V; Ncocious sexual development in the first-degree rela-9 E! v1 d1 x! ]4 U+ J4 P) E
tives. There were no siblings.6 i6 u1 `" ]2 K' O- E. r
Physical Examination$ Z, h) V+ M$ |) `+ \0 Q4 Z
The physical examination revealed a very active,) [" t0 g4 D2 B- P& G p( P
playful, and healthy boy. The vital signs documented9 z* [2 o, s' E7 \
a blood pressure of 85/50 mm Hg, his length was4 S5 |- }! g: l( \
90 cm (>97th percentile), and his weight was 14.4 kg
. [! a% ~5 |, K% n# F(also >97th percentile). The observed yearly growth4 Y: O( X% F. \$ J% A; R7 S
velocity was 30 cm (12 inches). The examination of. l/ ]7 O& ~ T7 Y* R) S6 h, g( a* P
the neck revealed no thyroid enlargement.$ _5 H7 b3 b. R6 c- d
The genitourinary examination was remarkable for
# R1 X, @: X. M1 R8 ~enlargement of the penis, with a stretched length of
$ n! B) c' d/ H$ Q" x4 X9 O8 cm and a width of 2 cm. The glans penis was very well6 D- j7 j% ]8 S; l
developed. The pubic hair was Tanner II, mostly around
9 ^* |; t2 k7 U6 }# _540/ b7 Q `8 R9 g) M7 `: Z6 u
at University of Manchester Library on May 25, 2015 cpj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
/ s* G% r( z: O% n& u7 Lthe base of the phallus and was dark and curled. The' }( h5 [6 A' T& c
testicular volume was prepubertal at 2 mL each.
8 [6 I' d) Q) X0 VThe skin was moist and smooth and somewhat1 _+ f N7 j$ B1 `5 a2 t; e
oily. No axillary hair was noted. There were no+ p; }; M8 j+ Q
abnormal skin pigmentations or café-au-lait spots.8 n. M, I1 [( P) o' r) A" j
Neurologic evaluation showed deep tendon reflex 2+. F6 |/ E$ t2 m, M7 T+ h3 A* S
bilateral and symmetrical. There was no suggestion7 S/ o, W; [& W
of papilledema.' F( ?% M' p" ?+ G8 N8 O2 g* m9 Y
Laboratory Evaluation
6 E/ b/ o$ h2 m t2 d# q' jThe bone age was consistent with 28 months by& U! A/ w$ F& ~/ n
using the standard of Greulich and Pyle at a chrono-" t/ d" \+ d9 I- L G# N
logic age of 16 months (advanced).5 Chromosomal
3 Z7 [0 p* o- K5 N1 tkaryotype was 46XY. The thyroid function test
" Z% d5 \2 b. s6 m, Gshowed a free T4 of 1.69 ng/dL, and thyroid stimu-6 W: E' f- G6 A) j; w$ I
lating hormone level was 1.3 µIU/mL (both normal)., ~( Y* E+ |" w0 L7 h9 Y
The concentrations of serum electrolytes, blood
5 l& g7 F% t, W' a8 \: turea nitrogen, creatinine, and calcium all were8 G) E0 g* S8 u5 U4 L/ m$ e- L
within normal range for his age. The concentration; H3 R5 _; F0 @: Y3 U- o# A
of serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone was 16 ng/dL
) R; v- p$ ~4 x# S. }# l+ _(normal, 3 to 90 ng/dL), androstenedione was 20
% p, h X* R7 K) R) ^ng/dL (normal, 18 to 80 ng/dL), dehydroepiandros-
; L6 n& [! X7 |2 P( Vterone was 38 ng/dL (normal, 50 to 760 ng/dL),& K; X0 v l# Y% D, {
desoxycorticosterone was 4.3 ng/dL (normal, 7 to" n; O! W2 `, M. e3 j
49ng/dL), 11-desoxycortisol (specific compound S)
) \- p6 r- s; d/ x: {, jwas 43 ng/dL (normal, 10 to 156 ng/dL), serum cor-5 p' l0 v9 ]5 [( b, q+ Z
tisol was 7.6 µg/dL (normal, 2.8 to 23 µg/dL), total. Z0 r6 t% P* G$ p
testosterone was 60 ng/dL (normal <3 to 10 ng/dL),
2 x- a4 |# W# p0 j) z/ ]- aand β-human chorionic gonadotropin was less than
2 x! ]/ |0 u; M M# x& v( M5 mIU/mL (normal <5 mIU/mL). Serum follicular6 @$ G% r6 F4 J& [7 d1 h
stimulating hormone and leuteinizing hormone, W" O- I5 [2 G& x6 j. M
concentrations were less than 0.05 mIU/mL7 {' _/ C4 y% z6 j
(prepubertal).4 _$ m$ f1 |. w* X- J9 @) j6 `+ b
The parents were notified about the laboratory" H) Y7 \( J" b4 X8 C7 i2 @* e
results and were informed that all of the tests were2 S( e( Y E$ l* b# Y5 ?5 r
normal except the testosterone level was high. The( k7 @1 [# \; c* \$ |3 K! Z
follow-up visit was arranged within a few weeks to2 M0 I- r2 F, u: q' l
obtain testicular and abdominal sonograms; how-$ Y/ {& W( P- ~
ever, the family did not return for 4 months.7 ^% H: D n* Y* B: b* ]
Physical examination at this time revealed that the
9 B7 h/ k: h( K1 M F5 C3 ]( Gchild had grown 2.5 cm in 4 months and had gained$ s- n1 k) C9 A# Z( o4 g
2 kg of weight. Physical examination remained
& z$ j* j5 O2 f7 V+ g% Q( ?' e! aunchanged. Surprisingly, the pubic hair almost com-9 E3 ]7 F7 s5 ^ W/ V
pletely disappeared except for a few vellous hairs at
3 M7 V- W3 V- a4 d' N% i1 O3 mthe base of the phallus. Testicular volume was still 2
! @. k8 h+ _9 s& {3 G2 \6 QmL, and the size of the penis remained unchanged. y1 r: I F3 A- z3 e
The mother also said that the boy was no longer hav-2 k1 B! y$ Q/ u4 ?
ing frequent erections.) ?& W& {* K2 {( N1 Y6 y/ U
Both parents were again questioned about use of% V1 I# T; y0 \/ [9 Y
any ointment/creams that they may have applied to/ ?5 i O7 E$ X; o. C" L+ h1 E
the child’s skin. This time the father admitted the( Q# t7 D9 j, O/ n' U; r7 m
Topical Testosterone Exposure / Bhowmick et al 541: W# E( m) B# g( D: z
use of testosterone gel twice daily that he was apply-
9 q" U4 Z+ z* U3 Ming over his own shoulders, chest, and back area for1 R" @! U/ X2 L, z
a year. The father also revealed he was embarrassed
4 {, U& G" D) [* ?& ^# y* B) pto disclose that he was using a testosterone gel pre-+ e9 I( f h5 Z6 r& i; K9 S
scribed by his family physician for decreased libido& w( S1 b4 r) ~2 ]. s
secondary to depression.
& _7 K+ @' D6 {+ o7 l- |The child slept in the same bed with parents.
' I. b! y- `- `5 J# `( r0 nThe father would hug the baby and hold him on his
2 v* F3 E- w, ]chest for a considerable period of time, causing sig-8 @/ C q1 _" Q0 ~9 V2 x$ y1 r
nificant bare skin contact between baby and father.
% \+ W8 d, o- [" I4 z7 I1 yThe father also admitted that after the phone call,
9 k" E1 B2 [( {4 |when he learned the testosterone level in the baby1 O |+ l$ w/ b& e3 E7 v9 U k6 W
was high, he then read the product information7 M" s0 }4 ?5 U5 Z. \3 W u( M
packet and concluded that it was most likely the rea-) t! u7 b: E; B; y7 p! U
son for the child’s virilization. At that time, they
$ S5 N6 f# T. O$ Fdecided to put the baby in a separate bed, and the! i M4 l9 R( K# @& k4 _
father was not hugging him with bare skin and had6 f, I3 `2 F* Z$ j
been using protective clothing. A repeat testosterone. y. V& u# B+ `
test was ordered, but the family did not go to the+ V( B- @' W6 v1 \! G3 W
laboratory to obtain the test.
; |2 x/ j4 C, u* F: ?0 z A* MDiscussion
# j, N( Q8 \1 z% GPrecocious puberty in boys is defined as secondary
& A8 ~1 V4 J3 v$ o' |sexual development before 9 years of age.1,4 k; i- V6 `! Z6 }3 |
Precocious puberty is termed as central (true) when
$ V# i3 S1 ]/ p* C1 Dit is caused by the premature activation of hypo-" I7 I. V+ F2 k
thalamic pituitary gonadal axis. CPP is more com-1 Y' u# @0 D- V! c6 s* b7 ~
mon in girls than in boys.1,3 Most boys with CPP% \3 S7 n" k4 ^4 w
may have a central nervous system lesion that is, ~. O1 }( s- c* D" [; p& S+ [
responsible for the early activation of the hypothal-
0 H7 H+ d9 r ?3 }6 q& ~0 m: \amic pituitary gonadal axis.1-3 Thus, greater empha-1 q& K) F& J# K6 R6 m( J* E$ ~- O% s
sis has been given to neuroradiologic imaging in, _! `1 U7 q7 p! I1 z3 |
boys with precocious puberty. In addition to viril-
2 F& C" d8 U3 @ization, the clinical hallmark of CPP is the symmet-
& {1 X' h5 X) c, y6 @0 Krical testicular growth secondary to stimulation by, D1 V+ ]& P+ M
gonadotropins.1,3: T' \8 m0 p6 F' c. H6 B* w- X/ }
Gonadotropin-independent peripheral preco-0 y; o0 T7 [& W
cious puberty in boys also results from inappropriate
+ ~) \" h4 P( Q+ ?7 Uandrogenic stimulation from either endogenous or; \. Y3 x+ r( T) o& l
exogenous sources, nonpituitary gonadotropin stim-
5 j9 u' s/ S0 c8 L+ hulation, and rare activating mutations.3 Virilizing
+ |$ I2 `4 R5 n$ S9 rcongenital adrenal hyperplasia producing excessive
8 K* q6 `1 w, {$ g- Jadrenal androgens is a common cause of precocious
8 h7 V. m! n9 Cpuberty in boys.3,4
6 z: j, }+ E( S y3 K5 QThe most common form of congenital adrenal
/ |+ N: V" h; ~, x* r Q0 ]hyperplasia is the 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency.
2 v3 U* ~7 w, o2 T1 GThe 11-β hydroxylase deficiency may also result in
. D7 Z9 K, h# b5 ~excessive adrenal androgen production, and rarely,7 M. H8 d+ Q: `
an adrenal tumor may also cause adrenal androgen
5 O1 [9 U4 g: i& B0 K/ Yexcess.1,3
/ @7 \/ Y6 v1 cat University of Manchester Library on May 25, 2015 cpj.sagepub.com Downloaded from
$ A- N) ?2 U5 O; j3 `542 Clinical Pediatrics / Vol. 46, No. 6, July 2007
+ m3 I# t1 o y* F3 F% z% Q& @3 z' hA unique entity of male-limited gonadotropin-- r& } G- O% O! ?4 m6 @, {0 ^
independent precocious puberty, which is also known
0 M$ N3 S) `7 ~5 ^% S! x1 l, tas testotoxicosis, may cause precocious puberty at a0 o1 n% X4 r$ x W
very young age. The physical findings in these boys4 i# q5 V! ~. o; }8 k4 T
with this disorder are full pubertal development,# E! Y( L% D3 l$ e) \, z/ e9 N( E
including bilateral testicular growth, similar to boys
4 W4 Q' F; g6 m; E/ m! F2 qwith CPP. The gonadotropin levels in this disorder
2 e0 @: _0 [1 d2 @1 qare suppressed to prepubertal levels and do not show
8 Y8 {0 Q0 k% B% }. J1 ^0 cpubertal response of gonadotropin after gonadotropin-
1 o) m) f2 H# }0 E$ m4 V# Nreleasing hormone stimulation. This is a sex-linked; L( O" V* ~% o( F5 L7 U
autosomal dominant disorder that affects only8 U+ z% S+ D6 c# }$ o+ `" r$ x3 B
males; therefore, other male members of the family0 Q; M- U+ n# R. X6 [9 V+ f5 j. \
may have similar precocious puberty.3
8 K( Y: N' E5 T2 KIn our patient, physical examination was incon-: c6 g& `$ g, g9 `
sistent with true precocious puberty since his testi-
% F4 @5 M9 I; Ucles were prepubertal in size. However, testotoxicosis
- C# q% G) U7 \6 N, Q, l$ }was in the differential diagnosis because his father
% z6 d- p4 d6 U# `* p- Kstarted puberty somewhat early, and occasionally,
3 `8 o3 _, w0 Mtesticular enlargement is not that evident in the7 W4 D% [% w, {2 d ~6 G3 l
beginning of this process.1 In the absence of a neg-/ J; ~9 e, J8 Q2 j) h1 Z) M
ative initial history of androgen exposure, our8 S) ~/ p* x* j, t+ R- F( |+ ^
biggest concern was virilizing adrenal hyperplasia,
, l& W8 x# Y* C. H6 ^( Eeither 21-hydroxylase deficiency or 11-β hydroxylase
2 T$ g, p. z' y& F- e- n2 D. W8 cdeficiency. Those diagnoses were excluded by find-) R- Y8 n `6 ` ] M+ `
ing the normal level of adrenal steroids.) r0 z- E2 W5 {, M. x
The diagnosis of exogenous androgens was strongly
1 H4 H4 }7 o- gsuspected in a follow-up visit after 4 months because
* b9 f+ Z8 r0 w+ h+ N3 M+ w Pthe physical examination revealed the complete disap-
/ v! R0 N, \( {7 K+ ^* Upearance of pubic hair, normal growth velocity, and) `( ?0 G4 W5 } a& f
decreased erections. The father admitted using a testos-
* y! w2 Y# w& h$ Sterone gel, which he concealed at first visit. He was
- {6 ^* z* }+ [* R6 q1 O: Vusing it rather frequently, twice a day. The Physicians’- U; e8 r; t- w* W9 f: L
Desk Reference, or package insert of this product, gel or' Q- Y) s( d- r2 _
cream, cautions about dermal testosterone transfer to
X* i0 w% F0 Y' P! Nunprotected females through direct skin exposure.
0 |' G) k. r$ t: ?; o( N$ }" FSerum testosterone level was found to be 2 times the5 |# j8 D2 D% m; {
baseline value in those females who were exposed to+ _0 T* F5 {9 B/ y7 r) u
even 15 minutes of direct skin contact with their male
, @' s+ q C8 Z, I1 L1 P: Ppartners.6 However, when a shirt covered the applica-
" j3 p" S2 q/ B4 w/ X' h1 v, N' E; Q. Ftion site, this testosterone transfer was prevented.
}0 j6 Q8 m) D1 [' c" U* `Our patient’s testosterone level was 60 ng/mL," f- h; J2 @; K$ k8 K
which was clearly high. Some studies suggest that+ Z( J. P+ i6 ]3 Q; z+ j
dermal conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestos-: T) ?; w# a- W# m$ k
terone, which is a more potent metabolite, is more, D9 v% c3 |; v, j" x
active in young children exposed to testosterone+ Q% p" {5 x/ Y$ T5 x( C6 b6 t {
exogenously7; however, we did not measure a dihy-
( _& k$ C& r6 P7 w3 O# a$ C4 K" edrotestosterone level in our patient. In addition to
3 x- i8 }$ x- i8 Rvirilization, exposure to exogenous testosterone in
w( r/ l. z! r$ ?5 P$ Vchildren results in an increase in growth velocity and
+ j. `4 {/ R: q4 @# padvanced bone age, as seen in our patient.
* e. ^2 ]: U1 v9 R$ ]5 ^The long-term effect of androgen exposure during
8 w, [ N" L$ x2 wearly childhood on pubertal development and final
' w* v, |! E; G6 e5 N" L3 z( vadult height are not fully known and always remain& ~' w8 N1 f3 v9 o
a concern. Children treated with short-term testos-
2 L) X+ T! [% Y0 X% m3 P* o& |terone injection or topical androgen may exhibit some/ J2 {+ y& b% V% e X; l4 L% j
acceleration of the skeletal maturation; however, after: T ~% X6 Z' h) r' U0 Y e$ C
cessation of treatment, the rate of bone maturation
1 ^' p P( H6 v) pdecelerates and gradually returns to normal.8,9
& g. j) ]3 ~ C6 g! {! o0 SThere are conflicting reports and controversy# P4 ` [$ M( s6 w6 w+ e
over the effect of early androgen exposure on adult6 d3 L! T- n2 J+ q5 \2 N
penile length.10,11 Some reports suggest subnormal
' U$ S! ^0 b7 `/ L" `adult penile length, apparently because of downreg-
( L5 b7 ?) Z# }6 R( ]6 d5 L2 culation of androgen receptor number.10,12 However,( x, ^" _# B% F( j) o% I: A
Sutherland et al13 did not find a correlation between v# g; U1 e- z4 G
childhood testosterone exposure and reduced adult* I/ v9 l( q" y$ I. [+ y
penile length in clinical studies.; I' _ B: ~& ~1 c5 k$ p
Nonetheless, we do not believe our patient is0 k" m4 e, F' M# l% c" V
going to experience any of the untoward effects from0 A3 R, K8 ?' i8 ?+ l4 d$ S, ^
testosterone exposure as mentioned earlier because
5 _2 I; F; A5 {( _# g& F6 T' Sthe exposure was not for a prolonged period of time.
$ Q5 y; d6 P' ^0 H4 |Although the bone age was advanced at the time of
" `: ~: v# s& ldiagnosis, the child had a normal growth velocity at
4 J2 e6 {$ H: o3 @! n; c8 |the follow-up visit. It is hoped that his final adult! a: J% y8 }, U1 V
height will not be affected.
6 i: Q4 R/ W5 j7 ~Although rarely reported, the widespread avail-/ a* Y" j4 v$ \4 m3 J
ability of androgen products in our society may
" l& y+ b% W8 x+ Kindeed cause more virilization in male or female
1 |4 D8 r4 j/ ^% W4 Q8 h5 r9 k/ nchildren than one would realize. Exposure to andro-
) v8 L2 y% E, Hgen products must be considered and specific ques-
5 |2 X4 d* Z: Ytioning about the use of a testosterone product or
3 i& Q" U- |0 n( Q i: s0 pgel should be asked of the family members during
; r! s! M" ^& `; fthe evaluation of any children who present with vir-
+ N4 L: B/ Z5 y. u; t/ i. S' Milization or peripheral precocious puberty. The diag-
' O8 l, R) P( Q# P" N( Xnosis can be established by just a few tests and by
3 a) Y; @: R9 q+ {( g; n Nappropriate history. The inability to obtain such a
+ J& y- \( Y4 m' F" H0 nhistory, or failure to ask the specific questions, may
5 z* p2 h, ]7 [8 c0 h# C' j/ [& wresult in extensive, unnecessary, and expensive
/ o6 w$ y* C- i' u [. ]investigation. The primary care physician should be4 I& Z, _8 V! Y/ E5 V* u
aware of this fact, because most of these children9 P6 @7 G& Q6 J! `1 D
may initially present in their practice. The Physicians’
- N9 @( `) q2 K$ F' I. ~" zDesk Reference and package insert should also put a
6 k: B3 ^" W# ]9 k9 ywarning about the virilizing effect on a male or4 U! K% b# w; n$ E
female child who might come in contact with some-$ n/ b& Y8 @( N0 }7 p5 U1 l6 ~
one using any of these products.
8 D8 [6 j" U9 v8 M+ zReferences" T! n# y3 {1 I% e4 v3 K
1. Styne DM. The testes: disorder of sexual differentiation
5 ?9 Y: W& J3 |$ |) r9 ~and puberty in the male. In: Sperling MA, ed. Pediatric
! o3 d4 ^6 o6 \1 ZEndocrinology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders;
' ^$ T7 r, Y5 b2002: 565-628./ @8 u0 n- S7 z' s3 N" b% w
2. Rivarola M, Belgorosky A, Mendilaharzu H, et al. Precocious4 G3 J3 I9 {/ W* \1 \
puberty in children with tumours of the suprasellar pineal |
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