What hormone should be tested in a child suspected of having precocious puberty?

In the scenario of a child suspected of having precocious puberty, it is essential to evaluate the hormonal involvement in sexual development. The correct hormone to test is beta-hCG, which is associated with conditions that can mimic sexual precocity.

In precocious puberty, there is often early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, leading to premature secretion of sex hormones, specifically estrogen and testosterone. While testosterone itself is critical in male sexual development and could indeed be elevated in certain situations, testing for beta-hCG is particularly useful when considering a germ cell tumor, such as a testicular tumor in boys or a gonadal tumor in girls that produces hCG. Such tumors may secrete hCG, leading to precocious sexual maturation, independent of the usual regulatory mechanisms.

Testing beta-hCG allows identification of these tumors, which is important for accurate diagnosis and management of the underlying cause of precocious puberty. Additionally, Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone are involved in the normal functioning of the puberty process but do not directly indicate the presence of abnormal precocious sexual maturation due to potential tumors or other endocrine pathologies. Therefore, in a clinical setting where precocious puberty is suspected, beta