[Cytohormonal picture of the vaginal epithelium in girls with premature pubic hair (author's transl)].

The study has aimed at assessing the cytohormonal picture of the vaginal epithelium of girls in whom the appearance of "pubarche" before the period of physiological sexual maturation was first perceivable symptom of disease or of the influence of the influence of exogenous hormones. The observation involved 16 girls hospitalized at the Pediatric Clinical Department or the Oncological Clinical Department or were remaining under the care of the Endocrinological Dispensary of the National Research Institute for Mother and Child, in whom "pubarche" appeared at the age of 1-7 1/2 years. Vaginal smears were the material for the present study. The estimation of the cytohormonal pictures of the vaginal epithelium together with the clinical symptoms and the laboratory analyses enabled the author to draw the following conclusions: 1. There may be diverse causes of the appearance of premature pubic hair. 2. In girls, in whom "pubarche" was the first symptom of precocious sexual maturation induced by the central nervous system, in most cases pituitary gonadotropins were found in the urine and the cytohormonal picture of the vaginal epithelium showed an oestrogenic reaction. 3. In the case of premature pubic hair of unexplained etiology the cytohormonal picture of the vaginal epithelium was always atrophic. The cytohormonal smears taken from the vaginal epithelium of girls with with premature pubic hair may be a valuable test for establishing the diagnosis.