True Precocious Puberty Following Treatment of a Leydig Cell Tumor: Two Case Reports and Literature Review

Central precocious puberty should be taken seriously in children with Leydig cell tumors of the testis after surgical treatment: a tertiary center experience

ABSTRACT

Central precocious puberty secondary to Leydig cell tumors is rare in children. We retrospectively analyzed the mid- to long-term follow-up data of patients with Leydig cell tumors. The clinical data of 12 consecutive patients who were treated at Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University (Beijing, China), between January 2016 and October 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical evaluations, including physical examination, hormone examination, serum tumor marker analysis, abdominal and scrotal ultrasound, chest X-ray, and bone age measurement, were conducted before surgery and at follow-up time points. Surgical approaches were selected according to the individual conditions. Patients with an abnormal hormonal status and suspected of having central precocious puberty were referred to endocrinologists to confirm the diagnosis. Subsequently, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog therapy was proposed. The mean patient age was 81.3 (range: 40-140) months at the time of the operation. Ten patients had peripheral precocious puberty at admission. All patients had elevated preoperative testosterone levels, whereas tumor marker levels were normal. Testis-sparing surgery was performed in eleven patients, and radical orchiectomy was performed in one patient. The follow-up duration (mean ± standard deviation) was 36.2 ± 25.3 months. Five patients had central precocious puberty, with a mean duration of 3.4 (range: 1-6) months postoperatively. Three patients were receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog therapy, and good suppression of puberty was observed. No risk factors were found for secondary central precocious puberty. There was a high prevalence of central precocious puberty secondary to Leydig cell tumors in our study. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog therapy has satisfactory treatment effects. Larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are needed in future studies.

A Matter of Time: Delayed Presentation and Rapid Progression from Gonadotropin-Independent to Gonadotropin-Dependent Precocious Puberty following Successful Treatment for a Leydig Cell Tumor

Leydig cell tumors, most often benign, are a rare cause of isosexual gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty in boys due to secretion of testosterone. Very rarely do these tumors produce estrogen, causing gynecomastia. Testicular sparing surgery is the mainstay of treatment currently although radical orchidectomy was the choice in the past. Following surgery, clinical signs improve along with a revision of biochemical changes. Occasionally, it has been reported few children are progressed to gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty (GDPP) after initial clinical and biochemical recovery. Gonadotropin receptor analogs have been successful on them to halt the progression of puberty, and growth hormone administration has been used to optimize the adult height. Here, we report a case of a 10-year-old boy who presented very late due to failure in recognition of features of puberty due to a Leydig cell tumor. Even though he underwent successful radical orchidectomy, just within 1 month following surgery, he entered GDPP in contrast to the published cases where it was earliest detected at 3 months.

Central precocious puberty after resection of a virilising adrenocortical oncocytic tumour

Adrenocortical oncocytic tumours are a histological subtype of adrenal neoplasms with a distinctive morphological appearance. Since these tumours are composed of cells of the adrenal cortex, they may act as functional tumours with excess hormone production. They may cause Cushing's syndrome, inappropriate virilisation or precocious puberty. Though rare during childhood, adrenocortical oncocytic tumours should be suspected in a child with peripheral precocious puberty and marked elevation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels. We describe a 6-year girl who presented with peripheral precocious puberty due to a functional adrenocortical oncocytic tumour. Three months after tumour removal, she developed true central precocious puberty. This report highlights that peripheral precocious puberty may trigger central precocious puberty, particularly after resolution of the underlying cause of the peripheral precocious puberty.

Precocious Pseudo-Puberty with Testicular Enlargement: Two Cases of Leydig Cell Tumor with Different Histopathological Results

Introduction

Leydig cell tumors (LCT) are the most common hormone-secreting testicular tumors; it is a rare cause for precocious pseudo-puberty in boys. The tumors secrete high amounts of testosterone. We present two cases of LCT in prepubertal boys presenting with precocious puberty.

Case Reports

Case 1. A 6-year-old boy was referred from the pediatric department with a diagnosis of precocious puberty. The patient had reported enlarged and painless swelling of the left testicle from a year ago. The puberty status of the patient was A1P3G4. Ultrasonography examination had found left testicular mass. Elective radical orchiectomy of the left testicle was performed. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of benign LCT. Case 2. A 6-year-old boy presented with an enlarged left testicle for the last three months. Features of puberty were noted on the patient (appearance of pubic and facial hair). The puberty status of the patient was A1P3G3. Left testicle US had found homogenous, hypoechoic mass with calcification. Bone age had found increased bone maturation. Increased androgen hormones were detected through a blood test. Radical orchiectomy of the left testicle was performed. The histopathological examination showed malignant LCT.

Conclusion

Leydig cell tumors uncommonly occur in children. Prepubertal-aged boys presented with asymmetrical, firm, painless testicular enlargement with signs of puberty should be evaluated for LCT. Histopathological analysis is the mainstay of diagnosis and radical orchiectomy is the treatment of choice of LCT.

Precocious Puberty Associated with Testicular Hormone-secreting Leydig Cell Tumor

Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are rare testicular tumors that may be a cause of precocious puberty in males. We present a 5-year-old boy with a five-month history of pubic hair appearance associated with an increase in penile length, scrotal hyperpigmentation, change in body odor, and bone age advanced by two years. His hormonal tests revealed the diagnosis of pseudo precocious puberty. Testicular ultrasound showed a unilateral right testicular enlargement. Surgery was performed to remove the mass. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of LCT. This case report highlights the importance of consideration of testicular tumors in boys with precocious puberty.

Gonadotropin-dependent pubertal disorders are common in patients with virilizing adrenocortical tumors in childhood

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of early exposure to androgen excess on gonadotropin-dependent puberty (GDP) and final height (FH) of patients with androgen-secreting adrenocortical tumors (ACT) in childhood.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study. Occurrence of GDP and achievement of FH were evaluated. Central precocious puberty (CPP) and early fast puberty (EFP) were considered pubertal disorders. Patients with normal puberty and pubertal disorders were compared.

RESULTS

The study included 63 patients (44F), followed in a single institution from 1975 until 2017. At diagnosis of ACT, median age was 25.8 months; duration of signs, 6 months; stature SDS, 0.5 (-3.6 to 3.9) and bone age advancement, 14.7 months (-27.9 to 85.4). To date, 37 patients developed GDP: 26 had normal puberty; one, precocious thelarche; seven, CPP and three, EFP. GnRHa effectively treated CPP/EFP. Tall stature and older age at diagnosis of ACT were associated with risk of CPP alone (RR 4.17 (95% CI 1.17-14.80)) and CPP/EFP (RR 3.0 (95% CI 1.04-8.65)). Recurrence/metastasis during follow-up were associated with risk of CPP alone (RR 4.17 (95% CI 1.17-14.80)) and CPP/EFP (RR 3.0 (95% CI 1.12-8.02)). Among the 19 patients that reached FH, stature SDS dropped from 1.4 to -0.02 since diagnosis of ACT (P = 0.01). Seventeen achieved normal FH. There was no difference in FH SDS between patients with normal puberty and pubertal disorders (P = 0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Gonadotropin-dependent pubertal disorders are common in patients with androgen-secreting ACT in childhood. FH is usually not impaired. The study reinforces the importance of close follow-up after surgery to identify and treat consequences of early exposure to androgen excess.

A Multicenter Retrospective Review of Pediatric Leydig Cell Tumor of the Testis

Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are rare tumors arising from testosterone-producing Leydig cells. Although LCTs are usually benign, malignancy has been reported in 10% of cases in adults, and local recurrence or metachronous tumors of the contralateral testis have been described. Radical orchiectomy is the current standard of care. We report on 12 children with LCT at 3 institutions between 2000 and 2016. Presenting symptoms included precocious puberty, palpable testicular mass, and scrotal swelling. Radical orchiectomy was performed in 9 patients. Three patients were treated with enucleation. All patients were alive at last follow-up without evidence of local recurrence or metastasis.

Atypical Leydig Cell Tumor in Children: Report of 2 Cases

Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are rare cord-stromal tumors that may occur in testis or ovaries and may produce androgens or estrogens. The majority has been found in men between the ages of 20 and 60 years. Adults with androgen-secreting LCTs are usually asymptomatic; feminizing syndromes may result from the production of estradiol or the peripheral aromatization of testosterone. In children, LCTs usually present between 5 and 10 years of age with isosexual precocious pseudopuberty or gynecomastia. We report 2 cases of LCT in prepubertal boys presenting with advanced unilateral pubarche and testicular volume asymmetry. Both subjects had normal penis size for age; no axillary hair or other signs of puberty were present. Height velocity was normal, and bone age was coincident with chronological age. Androgen levels were normal, as well as estrogen, corticotropin, and cortisol concentration. Testicular ultrasound demonstrated a testicular mass. Histology examination revealed a well-differentiated LCT. This is the first report of 2 pediatric patients with LCT presenting with advanced pubarche in absence of systemic hyperandrogenism. We hypothesize that the neoplastic cells may locally produce high levels of androgens or androgen-like bioactivity molecules that are responsible for the clinical manifestation. We suggest that a testicular ultrasound should be obtained in all children presenting with unilateral pubarche, with or without hyperandrogenism.