Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2025

A Hyperandrogenic Mouse Model to Study Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Published on: October 2, 2018
A Case of Peripheral Precocious Puberty May Be Caused by a Diet Containing Phytosterols in a 20-Month-Old Boy
Peng Xue1,2, Yirou Wang3, Yao Chen3
1Sanya Women and Children's Hospital, managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, Sanya, China.
Introduction:
Precocious puberty in boys generally remains an etiology. In addition to the causes of endogenous hormone changes, endocrine-disrupting chemicals of exogenous substances may interfere with children's pubertal development.
Case Presentation:
A 20-month-old boy presented with peripheral precocious puberty may be due to a phytosterol-containing diet. The patient came to see a doctor because of acne, hairiness, increased penis size, and coarse voice. Genital examination revealed a Tanner stage of 2 for pubic hair and a stretched penile length of 5 cm, which disagreed with the prepubertal testicular volume (2 mL bilaterally). At the same time, he was found to have pigmentation on both nipples and areola. The concentrations of estradiol and testosterone increased significantly. Since the age of 6 months, the patient had taken food added with a large amount of chicken essence seasoning (a flavoring in Chinese cooking), with an average of 15 g of this seasoning a day. A kind of phytosterol (C29H48O) was detected in chicken essence seasoning by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). After avoidance of the chicken essence seasoning, the patient's sex hormone levels decreased, all clinical symptoms returned to normal, and no further development of secondary sexual characteristics was detected.
Conclusion:
This phytosterol-containing diet may be responsible for the sexual development of this patient. However, the mechanism of how phytosterols affect the process of development in children needs to be further explored.
Related Concept Videos
Signs of Puberty
Adrenal Gland Disorders
Adrenal insufficiency, characterized by insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production, leads to conditions like Addison's disease. This disorder, affecting the adrenal cortex, exhibits symptoms such as skin bronzing, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, and weight loss. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic ailment causing...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Nature and Nurture
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Latency
The latency period is not...
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Phallic

