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Updated: May 18, 2026

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Is premature thelarche in the first two years of life transient?
Ahmet Uçar1, Nurçin Saka, Firdevs Baş
1Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey. aucar76@yahoo.com
Objective:
Premature thelarche (PT) refers to isolated onset of thelarche in girls younger than 8 years of age. Most cases have an onset under 2 years of age. We aimed to establish whether the onset of thelarche under 2 years of age certifies a transient clinical course, as suggested by several authors.
Methods:
Sixty-seven girls with an onset of PT under 2 years of age were classified as having early puberty (EP) or classical PT after one year of follow-up. Progression of pubertal findings or absolute growth velocity (GV) standard deviation score (SDS) above 1 SDS constituted the criteria for a diagnosis of EP.
Results:
Twenty (29.1%) girls were classified as having EP and 47 (70.1%) girls as having classical PT. Basal serum luteinizing hormone (LH; ICMA) values at a cut-off level of 0.3 IU/L were found to be a significant risk factor for having an atypical course [OR=7.8; CI (95%): 2.04-30.4, p=0.003].
Conclusions:
Onset of thelarche under 2 years of age does not assure a transient course in a remarkable proportion of girls with PT. An absolute GV value of >1 SDS or a basal LH level ≥0.3 IU/L are suggested as indicators for close follow-up.
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