ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pubertal delay can be a manifestation of a wide variety of diseases, the proportions of which may vary between developing and industrialised countries. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the aetiology of delayed puberty in northern India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Follow-up records of patients with delayed puberty presenting to the endocrine clinic between 2003 and 2007 were analysed. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (19 boys, 23 girls, age range 14-27 y) of 46 who initially presented had complete evaluation. The main causes of pubertal delay were chronic systemic illnesses (16), e.g. malnutrition, anaemia and chronic infections, hormone deficiencies (11), hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism (7) and constitutional delay (6). While the majority of girls (11/23) were found to have underlying systemic disorders, endocrinopathies (6/19) were the major causes of pubertal delay in boys. CONCLUSION: Chronic systemic illnesses are the major cause of pubertal delay in developing countries. Social awareness and education leading to early detection and treatment can prevent pubertal delay in a large proportion of cases.