PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY AND DECREASED MELATONIN SECRETION DUE TO A HYPOTHALAMIC HAMARTOMA

Hypothalamic hamartomata are benign malformations of the brain consist ing of heterotopic nervous tissue, and are often associated with preco cious puberty and gelastic seizures in early childhood. We report for the first time the melatonin plasma values of a girl with central prec ocious puberty and gelastic seizures due to a hypothalamic hamartoma. The melatonin plasma levels were low for the chronological age but app ropriate for the pubertal status, making a causal relationship between lowered melatonin plasma levels and precocious puberty possible.