[Autonomous ovarian cysts and pseudo-pubertas praecox].

Six prepubertal girls presented with precocious pseudopuberty associated with ovarian follicular cysts. Five patients normalized spontaneously after several months, in one patient the cyst was removed by laparotomy. Elevated estrogen serum levels and failure of gonadotropin responses after gonadotropin releasing hormone were the classical findings in these patients during the acute period of the disease. In a later period, however, estrogen and gonadotropin levels may be normalized although breast development is still present. Surgical treatment was performed in one patient although spontaneous remission would have been probable. Three patients showed several episodes of precocious pseudopuberty. In three patients ACTH testing was performed after dexamethason suppression. All three patients showed elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone responses which were similar to those in heterocygotes for C21-hydroxylase deficiency.