Changes in carotid artery sonogram in premature adrenarche

Background: Premature adrenarche (PA), the appearance of pubic hair before the age of 8 years in girls and before 9 years in boys, may predict future morbidity, such as metabolic syndrome (MS). Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess carotid artery ultrasound changes in children with PA. Design/methods: PA children were matched with a group of prepubertal controls without PA. Subjects and controls underwent clinical and biochemical evaluation and sonograms of the carotid arteries. Results: Twelve children with PA and their matched controls were studied. Carotid artery ultrasonography showed elevation of the inner and outer diameter of the left carotid, and the cross-sectional area of the lumen and outer wall, and the outer diameter of the right carotid artery in PA. However, none of the above results maintained statistical significance when a Hochberg correction was applied. Conclusions: Carotid artery diameter and cross-sectional area may be useful non-invasive markers of vascular pathology and MS in premature pubarche.