Written By: Shaloo Tiwari | Published : October 12, 2017 11:11 AM IST
Recently, you must have come across the news of a 5 year-old girl from Australia who started to menstruate at the age of four and will soon exhibit the signs of menopause. According to media reports, the girl named Emily Dover didn't exhibit any symptoms at birth but started to grow at an unusual rate. She developed breasts at 2. These symptoms are a result of Addison's disease and Central precocious puberty(CPP) which is characterized by early pubertal changes. According to HT, along with Addison disease, she has also been diagnosed with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety Disorder And Sensory processing disorder.
About Addison's disease:
Addison's disease or primary adrenal insufficiency is a long-term endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones. It is a rare endocrinal disorder that affects 1 in 1000,000 people and is seen in all age groups. It affects male and females equally and is named after Thomas Addison who first described patients affected by this disorder in 1855. It is widely associated with Tuberculosis. It is usually associated with dysphagia, fatigue, weight loss, hypotension, abdominal pain, amenorrhea, nausea, vomiting, thin and brittle nail, scanty body hair. It is a rare but potentially fatal disorder of adrenal glands. A few possible symptoms could be low blood pressure, darkening(hyperpigmentation) of skin. It is even associated with the development of other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, celiac disease or vitiligo.
About Central precocious puberty(CPP):
In this case, the body matures sooner and puberty starts hitting early which is around the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. Not all children with CPP require medical intervention. It depends highly on severity. According to another study, early bone maturation, accelerated growth, adult body odour, sexual developments like breast buds or testicle growth, emotional changes, mood swings are the common symptoms.
References:
Sarkar, S. B., Sarkar, S., Ghosh, S., & Bandyopadhyay, S. (2012). Addison's disease. Contemporary Clinical Dentistry, 3(4), 484 486. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-237X.107450
Ten, S., New, M., & Maclaren, N. (2001). Addison's disease 2001. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 86(7), 2909-2922.
Antoniazzi, F., & Zamboni, G. (2004). Central precocious puberty. Pediatric Drugs, 6(4), 211-231.
1: Xu YQ, Li GM, Li Y. Advanced bone age as an indicator facilitates the diagnosis of precocious puberty. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2017 Aug 30. 1: Brito VN, Spinola-Castro AM, Kochi C, Kopacek C, Silva PC, Guerra-J nior G. Central precocious puberty: revisiting the diagnosis and therapeutic management. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Apr;60(2):163-72. doi: 10.1590/2359-3997000000144.
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