ESPE Abstracts (2016) 86 P-P1-739

aFaculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Yaounde, Cameroon; bMother and Child Centre, CHANTAL BIYA, Yaounde, Cameroon; cCentral Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon; dRobert-Debré Application Hospital, Paris, France


Background: Puberty is reported to be impaired in children with Sickle cell Anemia (SCA). Studies about this topic are rare in Sub-Saharan region

Objective and hypotheses: Assessment of pubertal development of children with SCA compared to healthy children in Mother and Child Center, CHANTAL BIYA Foundation.

Method: We matched a group of 64 children with SCA (26 males, 38 females) with 94 healthy controls aged of 8–17 years old. Clinical features as height, weight, body mass index, body composition and sexual maturation were assessed. Hormonal measurements were performed for Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone and sexual steroids (estrogens/ testosterone) at Robert Debré application Hospital in Paris with radio-immunologic assays. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine relationship between severity of disease and sexual maturation.

Results: Delayed puberty was reported in 11.54% of boys and 10.6% of girls with SCA. Median age of menarche was delayed to 3 years compared to controls. SCA patients had stunting, low body mass index, free fat mass and lean body mass compared to controls. Abnormal levels of gonadotropins and sexual steroids were reported in cases. Delayed sexual maturation was associated with frequency of painful crisis and number of blood transfusion.

Conclusion: Delayed puberty was frequent in children with sickle cell Anemia. Sexual maturation was affected by severity of the disease.

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