Diagnosis, investigation and treatment of delayed puberty in children

Delayed puberty is defined as lack of secondary sexual characteristics from the age of 13 years in females and 14 years in males. The most common cause is constitutional delay in growth and puberty, which occurs mainly in boys. Thereafter, pubertal delay can be classified according to circulating levels of luteinzing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. CNS abnormalities result in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and gonadal failure causes hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism. New molecular defects that regulate gonadal function and cause pubertal abnormalities continue to be identified.