Delayed puberty

Overall outlook relates to the underlying cause of delayed puberty rather than to the delay itself.

Patients with a temporary delay, such as those with constitutional delay in puberty, have an excellent prognosis and achieve normal gonadal function post-puberty without testosterone (or oestrogen) replacement therapy.

Similarly, patients with a chronic illness, malnutrition, or intense exercise typically recover normal gonadal function after resolution of the illness or exercise.

Patients with a permanent cause, such as organic gonadotrophin deficiency, Turner's syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome, or previous pituitary surgery for a craniopharyngioma, require lifelong hormone therapy.