6-year-old girl unexpectedly discovered a brain tumor during early puberty screening

(Dan Tri) - Worried that their 6-year-old child was showing signs of puberty, PTT's family took him to Hong Ngoc General Hospital for early puberty screening. The results discovered a brain tumor, the "culprit" that triggers abnormal early development in children.

Abnormally early puberty, parents shocked to learn their child has a brain tumor

The family took the girl PTT (6 years and 1 month old) to Hong Ngoc Hospital for examination because they noticed unusual changes in her body: small lumps on both nipples, slight pain when touched, recently her breasts grew larger and faster, and her armpits had a foul odor. All of these symptoms made the family suspect that the child was entering puberty when she was only in first grade.

At Hong Ngoc Hospital, Dr. Luong Thi Thu Hien, a pediatric endocrinologist, directly examined and clinically assessed the child and recorded signs of uneven development: the breasts had developed at stage II-III according to the Tanner scale, while the pubic hair was only at stage I. Further in-depth tests showed that the child was only 6 years and 1 month old but had a bone age equivalent to 7 years and 6 months old, the concentration of hormones related to the reproductive axis such as LH, FSH and Estradiol was high, and metabolic indexes showed signs of deviation from the norm.

In addition, the baby has recently had frequent headaches, nausea, blurred vision, etc., leading doctors to suspect that the baby has damage to the central nervous system. Based on the screening results and the above signs, the doctor ordered a brain MRI. The results revealed a tumor in the hypothalamus, measuring 1.5 x 1.9 cm, located close to the optic chiasm.

Suspecting nervous system damage, the doctor ordered an MRI to find the cause.

According to Dr. Luong Thi Thu Hien: “This is a type of glioma that can stimulate increased secretion of GnRH hormone, promoting the activity of the pituitary gland, the control center that causes abnormally early puberty in children. Although the tumor size is not large, it is located in a particularly dangerous position, close to the optic chiasm and near the brain's endocrine regulation center.

Fortunately, the tumor was detected at an early stage before it caused deep damage to the vision or hypothalamus, making treatment easier and less risky, limiting the risk of complications, while preserving important brain functions. If delayed, the tumor could compress the optic nerve, affecting vision and causing long-term endocrine disorders.

The tumor is located close to the optic chiasm and near the brain's endocrine regulatory center.

Immediately after diagnosis, the child's case was consulted by a multidisciplinary team with the participation of pediatric endocrinologists, neurosurgeons and oncologists to develop an optimal treatment regimen. At the same time, the endocrine adjustment process was also implemented with an in-depth regimen, helping to control sex hormone levels and slow down the puberty process, bringing the body back to the physiological development rhythm appropriate to the age.

Early puberty screening: An important solution to detect abnormalities at an early stage

According to Dr. Luong Thi Thu Hien, puberty is a normal physiological development process, but if it happens too early, especially before the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys, it can affect the child's development and needs to be screened for close monitoring.

If not controlled in time, it can cause children to stop growing taller than normal, reducing their height by 8-10cm when they reach adulthood, and at the same time lead to psychological consequences such as inferiority complex, low self-esteem, and increased risk of unwanted problems. In particular, in some cases, early puberty can be an early manifestation of underlying diseases from the central nervous system or gonads such as brain tumors, pituitary tumors, ovarian tumors, testicular tumors, endocrine disorders, etc. Therefore, timely screening can help detect early lesions and diseases from the early stages, thereby effectively intervening, protecting the comprehensive development of children.

Early puberty screening helps detect underlying diseases early.

Currently, at Hong Ngoc Hospital, early puberty screening packages are flexibly designed, suitable for each age and specific group of symptoms of children. In addition to the goal of distinguishing between true and false puberty and assessing the level of puberty, doctors also make comprehensive assessments through hormone indexes, bone age, micronutrients, metabolism, etc., thereby finding the cause, building a timely intervention plan, providing psychological counseling, and accompanying parents to help their children maximize their height and avoid deviant behaviors.

Dr. Hien recommends that if parents notice signs of breast development, body odor, pubic hair growth, or sudden height increase before puberty, especially if accompanied by symptoms of headache, nausea, blurred vision, etc., they should take their children to see a doctor early to avoid missing the "golden period" of intervention. Proactive screening not only controls early puberty but also contributes to ensuring healthy and comprehensive development for children.

Screening for early puberty - Hong Ngoc General Hospital Phuc Truong Minh

Hotline: 0947 616 006

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/be-gai-6-tuoi-bat-ngo-phat-hien-khoi-u-vung-nao-khi-tam-soat-day-thi-som-20250608225232785.htm