Analysis of the incidence of central precocious puberty treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction. Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, consultations of girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) increased in several countries, but there were no data from Argentina. This increase may be related to changes in lifestyle and stress levels resulting from the lockdown, which particularly affected the child population. Objectives. 1) To describe the progression of the incidence of ICPP requiring inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in girls between 2010 and 2021 in a cohort from the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. 2) To compare the characteristics of girls diagnosed with ICPP during the pandemic with those of a control group. Methods. Interrupted time-series and case-control study. Results. The annual incidence remained stable between 2010 and 2017. Since 2017, it increased to an average of 59.9% (95% CI: 18.6-115.5) and appears to have accelerated during the pandemic. We found an association between ICPP and requiring inhibitory treatment between June 1st, 2020 and May 31st, 2021 and 2 variables: maternal age at menarche (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.77) and family history of ICPP (OR: 4.42, 95% CI: 1.16-16.86). Conclusion. We evidenced a significant increase in the incidence of ICPP with requirement of HPG axis inhibition since 2017. Increased exposure to various environmental triggers during the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a greater influence in girls with some genetic predisposition.