aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
The most common cause of delayed puberty is constitutional delay of puberty which accounts for about 90% of cases. This is a diagnosis of exclusion.
Other causes include:
- hypothalamic suppression e.g. systemic illness, anorexia nervosa
- chromosomal abnormalities e.g. Klinefelter's, Turner's
- gonodotrophin releasing hormone deficiency, pituitary lesion e.g. cranipharyngioma, gonadal failure, hypothyroidism, hyperprolactinoma
hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism
constitutional delay in growth and puberty
congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Waterhouse-Friderichsen's syndrome