Thelarche

Thelarche

Thelarche is the first stage of secondary (postnatal) breast development, usually occurring at the beginning of puberty in girls. Thelarche is usually noticed as a firm, tender lump directly under the center of the nipple ( and areola). Thelarche is also referred to as a "breast bud", or more formally as Tanner stage 2 breast development (Tanner stage 1 being the entirely undeveloped prepubertal state). Thelarche may occur on one side first, or both sides simultaneously.

Thelarche is the first physical change of puberty in about 60% of girls, and is a result of rising levels of estradiol. It is typical for a woman's breasts to be unequal in size, particularly while the breasts are developing. Statistically it is slightly more common for the left breast to be the larger.cite journal
author=C.W. Loughry, "et al"
title=Breast volume measurement of 598 women using biostereometric analysis
journal=Annals of Plastic Surgery
year=1989
volume=22
issue=5
pages=380–385
doi=10.1097/00000637-198905000-00002] In rare cases, the breasts may be significantly different in size, or one breast may fail to develop entirely.

Although breast development can occur as a part of normal male puberty, it is termed gynecomastia, and the term "thelarche" is not used with reference to male breast development.

When thelarche occurs at an unusually early age, it may be the first manifestation of precocious puberty. If no other changes of puberty or sex hormone effects occur, it is referred to as isolated premature thelarche, and needs no treatment.

Isolated premature thelarche

Premature thelarche is a benign, self-limiting condition which is characterised by breast development with no other signs of sexual maturation.

There may well be two types of premature thelarche.

The classical type commences during the first year of life and tends to resolve by the age of 2.

There is a second form of premature thelarche, of which the age of onset is over 2 years of age and this tends to be more persistent and with a higher incidence of uterine bleeding.

See also

* Adrenarche
* Gonadarche
* Menarche
* Pubarche
* Puberty

References

* [http://www.health.am/gyneco/more/isolated-premature-thelarche/ Isolated Premature Thelarche]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thelarche — The beginnings of breast development at puberty. Thelarche is now a normal event at an earlier age (e.g., age 8) than in the past. The term thelarche comes from two Greek words: thele, nipple + arche, beginning. Thelarche is frequently (and… …   Medical dictionary

  • Thelarche — Unter Thelarche (altgr. von thele für „Brustwarze“; und arche für „Anfang“ oder „Ursprung“) versteht man den Beginn der in der Regel schon vor der Pubertät unter Einwirkung eines zunehmenden Östrogen Spiegels auftretenden, langsam und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • thelarche — noun The first stage of postnatal breast development, usually occurring at the beginning of puberty in girls, in which a firm, tender lump develops under the centre of the nipple …   Wiktionary

  • Thelarche — Thel|ạr|che [gr. ϑηλη = Mutterbrust; Brustwarze u. gr. ἀρχη = Anfang] w; , n: Beginn der Mammaausbildung bei Mädchen …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

  • Thelarche — The|lar|che die; , n <zu gr. arche̅ »Anfang«> Beginn der Mammaausbildung bei Mädchen (Med.) …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • thelarche — n. the process of breast development, which occurs as a normal part of puberty. Isolated premature breast development in girls is not uncommon and is almost always benign …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • thelarche — noun the start of breast development in a woman at the beginning of puberty • Hypernyms: ↑start …   Useful english dictionary

  • premature thelarche — breast development occurring in girls under the age of 8 years without other signs of sexual maturation …   Medical dictionary

  • Puberty — refers to the process of physical changes by which a child s body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads (the ovaries and testes). In response, the gonads produce a… …   Wikipedia

  • Breast — The milk engorged breast of a pregnant woman …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”