ESPE Abstracts

Background: In precocious puberty, girls experienced secondary sexual development earlier psychologically as well as physically. Self-stress due to a different body shape from the peer group, psychological concerns due to discrepancies between physical and chronological age, and long-term behavioural problems could occur.

Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to evaluate psychosocial changes in girls with precocious puberty between before and after treatment.

Method: The girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty whose parents completed the Korean-Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL; n=66) and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI); n=61) were enrolled in this study. K-CBCL and CDI were checked at diagnosis and 1 year after treatment with GnRH agonist. T score was used in K-CBCL for statistical analysis.

Results: In K-CBCL, T score of problem behaviour total score was significantly lower at 1 year after treatment than at diagnosis (P=0.000). T scores of anxiety/depression, atrophy/depression, aggressive behaviour, social immaturity, and other problem were significantly lower, respectively. T scores of affective problems, anxiety problems, and oppositional defiant problems were significantly lower. T score of post-traumatic stress problems was significantly lower. T score of academic performance was significantly higher. In CDI, score was significantly lower at 1 year after treatment than before treatment.

Conclusion: In idiopathic central precocious puberty, psychosocial problems as well as physical changes may be improved by suppression of sex steroids after treatment with GnRH agonist.