Associations of size at birth and postnatal catch-up growth status with clinical and biomedical characteristics in prepubertal girls with precocious adrenarche: preliminary results.

Context: The causes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in girls with precocious adrenarche (PA) remain unclear.

Objective: Our goal was to compare the clinical, biochemical, and ultrasound characteristics of girls with PA whose size at birth was appropriate for gestational age (AGA) vs those born small for gestational age (SGA). PCOS-associated metabolic and morphological correlates were examined.

Design: Glucose tolerance, ACTH stimulation, and transabdominal ultrasounds were examined in 56 AGA and 31 SGA girls with PA. Bone age and hormonal profiles were determined. SGA girls were divided into 2 groups by catch-up growth (CUG) status. Subgroups were compared.

Results: Chronological age, Tanner stage for pubarche, ovarian volume, and uterine volume were similar between the groups. SGA girls had lower body mass index and higher bone age-adjusted post-corticotropin cortisol. We found increased body mass index-adjusted mean serum insulin, reduced insulin sensitivity, and reduced IGF-binding protein-1 in SGA girls. Multicystic ovaries were more common in SGA girls (odds ratio [OR] = 9.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.34-28.15; P < .001). SGA girls without CUG had a higher incidence of multicystic ovaries than CUG counterparts (OR = 8.4, 95% CI = 1.4-19.3; P = .027). Being born SGA (OR = 43.4, 95% CI = 6.9-84.7; P = .001] and exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response (OR = 15.8, 95% CI = 1.7-49.8; P = .015) were associated with multicystic ovaries.

Conclusions: Significant differences in hormone levels, insulin sensitivity, and ovarian maturity were found in prepubertal girls with PA who were SGA. Longitudinal follow-up will help determine whether these factors contribute to a specific PCOS phenotype in SGA girls with PA.