Four African-American girls aged 14 months to 93 months developed breast or pubic hair 2 to 24 months after starting the use of estrogen or placenta-containing hair products. Discontinuing the use of the hair products resulted in regression of the breast or pubic hair. Serum gonadotropins and estradiol levels were variable. No other cause for early sexual development was noted in these girls.
References
1.
1. Herman-Giddens HE, Slora EJ, Hasenmeier CM. The prevalence of secondary sexual characteristics in young girls seen in office practice. Am JDis Child. 1993;147:455-455 (Abstract #170).
2.
2. Cook CD, McArthurJW, Berenberg W. Pseudo precocious puberty in girls as a result of estrogen ingestion. NEnglJMed. 1955;248:671-674.
3.
3. Hertz R. Accidental ingestion of estrogens by children. Pediatrics. 1958;21:203-206.
4.
4. Ramos AS. Pseudo isosexual precocious puberty due to cosmetic ingestion (letter to the editor). JAMA. 1969;207:368-369.
5.
5. Weber WW, Grosman M, Thom JV, et al. Drug contamination with diethylstilbestrol. NEnglJMed. 1963;268:411-415.
6.
6. Green M. Gynecomastia and pseudo precocious puberty following diethylstilbestrol exposure. Am J Dis Child. 1958;95:637-639.
7.
7. Prouty M. Gynecomastia with pigmentation in a four year old male following stilbestrol exposure. Pediatrics. 1952;9:55-57.
8.
8. Halperin DS, Sizonenko PC. Prepubertal gynecomastia following topical inunction of estrogen containing ointment. Helv Paediat Acta. 1983;38:361-366.
9.
9. Beas F, Vargas L, Spada RP, Merchak N. Pseudo precocious puberty in infants caused by a dermal ointment containing estrogens. J Pediatr. 1969;75:127-130.
10.
10. Healy CE. Precocious puberty due to a diaper ointment. Indiana Med. 1984;77:610-610.
11.
11. Anonymous. Estrogens in cosmetics. Med Lett. 1985;27:53-56.
12.
12. Whittle CH, Lyle A. Precocity in a girl aged 5: due to stilboestrol inunction. Proc Roy Soc Med. 1948;41:760-760.
13.
13. Edidin DV, Levitsky LL. Prepubertal gynecomastia associated with estrogen containing hair cream. Am JDis Child. 1982;136:587-588.
14.
14. Zimmerman PA, Francis GL, Poth M. Hormone-containing cosmetics may cause signs of early sexual development. Military Med. 1995;160:628-630.
15.
15. Rogol A, Blizzard R. Variations in disorders of pubertal development. In: Kappy MS, Blizzard RM, Migeon CJ, eds. Wilkins: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Endocrine Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence, 4th ed.Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas Publisher; 1994:869-878.
16.
16. Gruelich WW, Pyle IS, eds. A Roentgenological Atlas of Skeletal Maturation of the Hand and Wrist. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press; 1959.
17.
17. The estradiol, estrone, and estriol were measured by the method described in the USP XXII, NF XVII, The United States Pharmacopeia, The National Formulary, USP 22nd rev., 1990. Rockville, MD: United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc.
18.
18. Pastore GN, Dicola LP, Dollahon NR, Gardner RM. Effect of estriol on the structure and organization of collagen in the lamina propria of the immature rat uterus. Biol Reprod. 1992;47:83-91.
19.
19. Misao R, Nishigaki M, Hori M, et al. Effect of danazol and medroxyprogesterone acetate on estrogen- (estradiol and estriol) specific binding sites in rabbit uterus. GynecolEndocrinol. 1995;9:29-35.
20.
20. van der Linden MC, Gerretsen G, Brandhhorst MS, et al. The effects of estriol on the cytology of urethra and vagina in postmenopausal women with genitourinary symptoms. EurJ Obstet Cynecol. Reprod Biol. 1993;51:29-33.
21.
21. Moran DJ, McGarrigle HH, Lachelin GC. Maternal plasma progesterone levels fall after rectal administration of estriol. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1994;78:70-72.
22.
22. The hormone measurements in the serum were made in accordance with the procedure and the diagnostic kit supplied by various manufacturers such as Abbotts Diagnostic, Chicago, IL (cortisol, estriol, LH, FSH, and prolactin); Nicholas Lab LA, CA (ACTH); Diagnostic Products Corporation, LA, CA (17 alpha hydroxy progesterone, DHEA-S, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone); and Wallec Inc., (LKB Pharmacea), Gaithersburg, MD (Prolactin). SMA-20 was measured on automated Technicon instrument by Technicon NY.
23.
23. Tiwary CM. An inexpensive method for assessing pituitary response to LHRH: analysis of gonadotropin in pooled samples. Horm Metab Res. 1987;18:616-620.
24.
24. Tiwary CM. Serum gonadotropin (GN) response to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) in differentiating children with precocious puberty (PP) from those with premature adrenarche (PAd). Pediatr Res. 1979;13:386-386 (Abstract#364).
25.
25. Gabrilove JL, Luria M. Persistent gynecomastia resulting from scalp inunction. Arch Dermatol1978;114:1672-1673.
26.
26. Murad F, Haynes RCJr.Estrogens and progestins (chapter 60). In: Gilman AG, Goodman LS, Gilman A, eds. Goodman and Gilman 's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 6th ed.New York: Macmillan; 1980:1420-1447.
27.
27. Bhat N, Rosato EF, Gupta PK. Gynecomastia in a mortician. A case report. Acta Cytol. 1990;34:31-34.
28.
28. Finkelstein JS, McCully WF, Maclaughlin DT, et al. The mortician's mystery: gynecomastia and reversible hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in an embalmer. N EnglJ Med. 1988;318:961-965.
29.
29. Tiwary CM. A survey of use of hormone/placenta-containing hair preparations by parents or children attending pediatric clinics. Military Med. 1997;162:252-256.
