Research
Peripheral Precocious Puberty Causes, Diagnosis and Management
Background: Precocious puberty (PP) is a common pediatric endocrine problem. It is a complex and a multifactorial. Design and settings:A retrospective hospital based study was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh Saudi Arabia, during the period January 1990 and December 2016. Materials and Methods: During the period under review, all patients with the diagnosis of peripheral precocious puberty were reviewed for age, sex, clinical characteristics, hormonal and radiological investigations. Results: During the period under review; 19 patients were evaluated for PPP. Elevated levels of estradiol or testosterone levels with suppressed gonadotropin levels on GnRH stimulation test. Various etiological causes were noted, with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (8 patients) and hypo-thyroidism (5 patients) being the commonest. Adrenal tumors in 3 patients, ovarian pathology in two and McCune-Albright Syndrome was the diagnosis in one. Conclusion: Peripheral precocious puberty wasn’t that rare in our series. Variety of causes with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and hypothyroidism were the commonest.
Childhood Hypocalcemia: The Aetiological Pattern
Background: Hypocalcemia is not that rare condition and could be a potentially life threatening. Identifying the etiology is important for successful management. Design and setting: A retrospective, hospital based study was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period December 1989 and June 2016. Materials and Methods: Medical records of children beyond the neonatal period with hypocalcemia were reviewed for aetiological diagnosis. Detailed history, clinical manifestation, and results of all the laboratory, and radiological investigations were obtained. Results: A total of 60 patients were seen in the period under review, December 1989 and June 2016, with childhood hypocalcemia. Twenty-seven (45.0%) patients were parathyroid hormone deficient, while rickets diagnosed in 25 (41.7%) patients. Conclusion: This study showed that parathyroid hormone (PTH) deficiency (45%) and rickets (41.7%) were the most common causes of childhood hypocalcemia.
