Thelarche
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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 (papilla 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 usually the first physical change of puberty in girls, and is a result of rising levels of estradiol.
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
References
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
