The glossary is a quick reference, as well as a good starting place, to understand some of the technical information related to central precocious puberty.
Adolescence – A child’s teenage years when he or she is rapidly developing into an adult. Adolescence refers more to an ongoing state of mind than to a specific physical event. See puberty.
Androgens – A group of hormones that cause male sexual characteristics to develop. The testes and adrenal glands in males make these hormones. In females, small amounts are made in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands.
Bone age x-ray – An x-ray of the left hand and wrist will show how old the bones think the body is. Bones grow from the ends, in an area called growth plates. The ends are completely open at birth and slowly close, until they are completely fused at the end of puberty. The more closed the bones are, the older the child’s body thinks it is. The bone age x-ray is compared with standards for boys and girls of different ages.
Central precocious puberty – Puberty that starts earlier than usual; that is, before age 8 in girls or age 9 in boys. Also called CPP.
CPP – See central precocious puberty.
Endocrine glands – Organs that secrete hormones directly into the blood stream (unlike duct glands, such as saliva glands, that secret fluid via small channels).
Estrogen – A hormone that causes female sexual characteristics to develop. Estrogen is mainly needed for development of a woman’s sex organs, and also for overall growth. Too much estrogen at an early age can cause a child’s bones to finish growing before they should. If this happens, the child will end up being shorter than she would have been. Estrogen is made by the ovaries in females. Small amounts are also made in fat tissue in both females and males.
Final adult height – The height reached at the end of puberty, when a child’s bone growth plates have fused. In girls, bone growth stops when estrogen reaches adult levels, about 2-3 years after the first menstrual period. For boys, the hormone androgen at first stimulates bone growth but eventually also causes bone growth plates to fuse.
Genitals – Reproductive organs; often refers to the external (outside) reproductive organs.
GnRH – See gonadotrophic releasing hormone.
Gonadotrophic releasing hormone (GnRH for short) – A brain signal from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland telling it to release sex hormones. See also gonadotrophins.
Gonadotrophins (gonad=ovaries or testicles; trophics=nourishment) – Sex hormones released by the pituitary gland.
Growth chart – A simple grid (chart) to determine the exact height or weight of a child at a given age. It is used to compare a child's height to other children of the same age and sex, and also is used to determine the rate of growth for that child.
Growth hormone therapy – A synthetic version of a natural hormone responsible for growth. When a child has a GH deficiency, GH therapy may be recommended to help the child reach his or her normal/natural growth potential.
Growth rate – The absolute or relative increase in growth over a set period of time.
Histrelin – A GnRh agonist medicine contained in SUPPRELIN® LA.
Hormone – A substance made in one part of the body that travels through the blood to affect another part of the body. Hormones affect practically every area of the body. For example, certain hormones can tell your body to grow.
Hypothalamus – A part of the brain that controls many vital processes, including thirst, hunger, temperature, and sex drive. See also pituitary gland.
Idiopathic CPP – When the cause of CPP is unknown; also called “true” CPP.
Ovaries – One on each side of the body in girls. On a signal from the brain, the ovaries begin to produce estrogen. Ovaries contain eggs or ova, which are present at birth.
Ovulation – The monthly release of an egg from an ovary midway during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Pediatric endocrinologist – A children’s doctor who specializes in hormonal disorders.
Percentile – A number based on dividing something into 100 parts; for example, a group of children of the same age. The tallest children are in the higher percentiles. The smaller children are in the lower percentiles.
Pituitary gland – A tiny gland just underneath the hypothalamus, attached by blood vessels; working together, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland control the ovaries in girls and the testicles in boys, as well as overall growth.
Precocious – Developed more than is natural or usual for a given age; exceeding what is expected of one’s years.
Puberty – A time of physical hormonal and sexual change in children triggered by a rise in the body’s level of sex hormones. Ages vary as to when a child enters puberty and completes this process. However, early puberty should be evaluated quickly by a child’s pediatrician or a pediatric endocrinologist.
Rapid bone maturation – When the bone age (skeletal advancement) occurs at an increased/fast rate.
Stimulation testing – A blood test taken over a period of time. It provides information about how much growth hormone a person’s body makes.
Testosterone – A sex hormone that causes male characteristics to develop (such as the beard, pubic hair, and deeper voice). Testosterone is needed for development of the man’s sex organs, sperm, and also for overall growth.
True CPP – When the cause of CPP is unknown; also called idiopathic CPP.
