pediatrics
Delayed Puberty
Symptoms and Signs of Delayed Puberty
In girls, breast development, pubic hair growth, and/or menarche do not occur. In boys, genital and/or pubic hair development are absent. Short stature, decreased growth velocity, or both may indicate delayed puberty in either sex. Adolescents with delayed puberty may be teased or bullied, and often need help in coping with and managing social concerns. Although adolescents are typically uncomfortable about being different from their peers, boys are more likely than girls to feel psychologic stress and embarrassment resulting from short stature and delayed puberty. Signs of possible chronic disease include an abrupt change in growth, undernutrition, discordant development (eg, pubic hair without breast development), or stalled pubertal development (ie, puberty starts then fails to progress). Neurologic symptoms (eg, headaches, vision problems), polydipsia, and/or Prolactinoma could suggest a CNS disorder. Hyposmia or Gastrointestinal symptoms could suggest an Overview of Inflammatory Bowel Disease . An abnormal body image (eg, false belief in being overweight) suggests the need to evaluate for an Evaluation of primary amenorrhea [a] could suggest 