[Clinical assessment of sexual maturation in adolescents]

OBJECTIVE: To present the methods for clinical evaluation of sexual maturation in adolescents. METHODS: Bibliographic review concerning the practice of pubertal staging. RESULTS: The assessment of sexual maturation is an essential step in the comprehensive health care of adolescents, allowing for the evaluation of their developmental stage. In addition, this assessment allows establishing a correlation between different pubertal events, following up diseases, and interpreting laboratory tests appropriately. Pubertal stage is assessed by the examination of breasts and pubic hair in females, and genitals and pubic hair in males. A new photographic standard for pubertal staging and a new method for clinical measurement of testicular volume are presented. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of sexual maturation is an important feature in the health care of adolescent patients and must be included in the clinical practice of pediatricians involved in adolescent medicine.