Adrenal Tumor in Female Infant. With Hypertrichosis, Hypertension, Overdevelopment of External Genitalia, Obesity, but Absence of Breast Enlargement

Abstract

The sex and age of the individual have an influence upon the character of the symptoms and functional disturbances produced by tumors of the adrenal gland whether these are benign or malignant; for instance, the term ‘Cushing's syndrome’ does not cover the various types which have recently become known. Case reports confirm the occurrence of certain common characteristics, but as in most diseases, an analysis of the symptomatology may show variations. Sexual precocity in the young boy, enlarged mammary glands in the adolescent male and masculinization of the preadolescent female, are examples of such clinical endocrine abnormalities. The case reported here is that of an infant, with a syndrome which is especially characteristic in a young female child who has an adrenal cortical tumor. Lisser(1) has termed this “pseudo-sexual precocity” to distinguish it from “true sexual precocity” caused by tumors of the ovary of the granulosa cell type.