Underdevelopment of the genital organs (Infantilism). Sexual (genital) infantilism: causes, symptoms, treatment

The essence of the disease is the underdevelopment of the genital organs, which have prematurely stopped growing. A combination of infantilism and hypofunction of the female reproductive glands is often detected. Insufficient ovarian activity is also accompanied by incomplete development of external sexual characteristics. In some cases, intimate life becomes impossible. The formation of this pathology is due to a failure in the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian system.

A woman's gonads stop responding to hormones produced by the central organs - the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. In this case, increased production of follicle-stimulating hormone in the pituitary gland is often detected, as well as a lack of hormones responsible for ovulation and the passage of the second stage of the menstrual cycle.

Uterine hypoplasia is one of the causes of infertility. To determine the tactics of further treatment, ultrasound alone is not enough. A comprehensive examination of the body will be required, which includes a blood test for hormones, hysterosalpingography, uterine probing, and in some cases, laparoscopy. An anthropometric measurement is required to determine the delay in physical development. In children, bone age is determined.

Failure of the hormonal system often begins in adolescence, and the disease is diagnosed in girls over 15 years of age. If, in addition to underdevelopment of the genital organs, a delay in general development is detected, the diagnosis can be made earlier - at 13-14 years of age.

Causes of genital infantilism

There can be quite a few genital causes. Among them:

hormonal changes, such as thyroid dysfunction;
poor nutrition and low amounts of vitamins in the diet;
intrauterine growth retardation;
genetic disorders;
previous infections in childhood, for example, scarlet fever, measles, rubella, mumps;
chronic intoxication;
chronic diseases of the ENT organs, for example, chronic tonsillitis;
previous ovarian surgery;
rheumatic diseases;
other chronic pathology, for example, severe diseases of the heart, digestive organs, vascular disorders.

Degrees of the disease

Underdevelopment of the uterus is specific to the disease; the severity of infantilism is determined by the size of this organ.

1st degree of infantilism- rudimentary uterus. Fortunately, this pathology is detected quite rarely. The length of the uterine body is within 1-3 cm, most of which is at the cervix.

Menstrual discharge is completely absent, in some cases its similarity is observed. It is impossible to completely restore specific female functions in such a pathology. The first degree of infantilism is classified as developmental anomalies.

2nd degree of infantilism- underdevelopment of the uterus, the size of which exceeds 3 cm. The ratio of the cervix to the body of the uterus is the same as in girls before puberty and is 3:1. Characterized by a high location of the gonads - the ovaries.

During the examination, tortuous and elongated fallopian tubes are found. Menstrual flow is rare and often painful. The pathology can be restored, but this will require long courses of hormonal therapy.

3rd degree of infantilism- hypoplasia of the uterus, which develops up to 6-7 cm in length. The cause may be previous inflammatory diseases of the reproductive organs during prepubertal and puberty.

The length ratio of the uterus and cervix is correct. This pathology may disappear on its own with the onset of regular sexual activity or during pregnancy.

There are 2 forms of sexual infantilism:

a disease occurring with hormonal ovarian insufficiency;
sexual infantilism without ovarian failure.

Symptoms of genital infantilism

Most often, the patient is worried about scanty or infrequent periods, which are quite painful, accompanied by headaches, nausea and fainting. With severe pathology, menstruation is completely absent. Sexual desire is reduced. A history of premature birth, miscarriages, and weak labor can be found. Sometimes a woman cannot conceive a child.

An external examination reveals a narrow pelvis, scanty pubic hair, lack of hair in the armpits, and poorly developed mammary glands. The labia majora and minora are underdeveloped, the perineum is retracted, the vagina is narrow and short, the cervix is elongated, the body of the uterus is short and flattened.

Insufficient sexual development is combined with short stature and prolapse of internal organs. The typical appearance of a girl: fragile build, weak external sexual characteristics, narrow hips and narrow shoulders. X-rays reveal the lag in bone age from the actual age; usually the difference between them is 1-4 years.

Often physical underdevelopment is combined with psychological infantilism. Parents could be very protective of a girl in childhood; in subsequent years, she becomes unable to make decisions on her own, enter into relationships with the male sex, or lead an intimate life. Sexual infantilism is also a complete lack of sexual desire.

X-ray and ultrasound examinations reveal long, tortuous fallopian tubes, a small uterus and an elongated cervix.

A typical symptom is a violation of the innervation of the genital organs, their blood supply, and low contractility of the uterus.

Treatment of genital infantilism

Treatment of the disease usually ends successfully, with the exception of severe underdevelopment of the genital organs (rudimentary uterus). The basic principles of therapy are as follows:

Increase the sensitivity of the genital organs to the action of hormones.
Eliminate the cause of delayed puberty.
Select suitable replacement therapy.

To increase the sensitivity of target organs to hormonal stimulation, courses of vitamin therapy (groups B, E, C) are carried out, and ATP is prescribed.

Before starting hormone replacement therapy, you should make sure that there are no abnormal gonads and exclude false hermaphroditism. It is also necessary to examine for the presence of hormonally active ovarian tumors. After 3 months of treatment with hormones, it is necessary to give the body a rest. The course is repeated if the first stage of treatment did not lead to success.

Sometimes the situation can be corrected by organizing good nutrition, with a sufficient amount of vitamins in food, and physical treatment.

Simultaneously with hormonal medications, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed - paraffin baths, electrophoresis with copper, zinc, diathermy. Acupuncture sessions (acupuncture) help. Balneotherapy, therapeutic exercises, and mud therapy are also prescribed. Gynecological massage and electrical stimulation of the cervix are performed.

All patients with genital infantilism should be under medical supervision. It is recommended to repeat courses of replacement therapy periodically. You should know that women with uterine hypoplasia are at risk for developing tumor pathology of the genital organs.

The prognosis with timely treatment and the absence of significant anomalies of sexual development is usually favorable.

Gynecologists at the Otradnoe Polyclinic have extensive experience in the treatment of sexual infantilism and uterine hypoplasia. Here you can undergo a full diagnosis of the body to exclude genetic abnormalities and tumor processes. After this, depending on the results, adequate treatment will be prescribed.

Remember, the sooner genital hypoplasia is detected, the more successful the treatment will be. Many women get the opportunity to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby.

Genital infantilism is the result of the body being in a state of cessation of growth of the reproductive organs before reaching maturity. With such a diagnosis, a person is not able to have a full sex life. The development of the external genitalia also does not occur.

That is, in a woman of reproductive age, the genital organs are represented by small ovaries, thin and long fallopian tubes, a small uterus and an elongated cervix, no different in size from children’s.

Causes of genital infantilism

Genital infantilism is basically a problem of hormonal imbalance; the pituitary gland and hypothalamus do not produce hormones responsible for the development of the uterus and ovaries. Such disorders often characterize the first years of life and adolescence.

Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system and various diseases of a woman can lead to infantilism. If diseases affect blood vessels, the heart, the digestive tract, and continue for a long time, then this, in many cases, ends in sexual infantilism.

The matter may be not only in physiology, but also in psychology. The cause of infantilism may be a general developmental delay. People with this diagnosis have an appearance consistent with a younger age.

Excessive parental care affects the child’s psyche and can lead to illness. For such a person, already an adult, many problems arise in relationships with people of the opposite sex, including in the intimate sphere. Sexuality is not formed and does not develop in the presence of sexual infantilism.

For physiological and psychological infantilism, different treatment methods are used; their choice is also influenced by the degree of the disease.

Symptoms and manifestations of infantilism

Women of short stature with an elegant and thin skeletal system, a narrow pelvis, and narrow shoulders may suffer from genital sexual infantilism. Also, patients experience a late onset of menstruation, the discharge is characterized by scarcity, pain and irregularity, with the presence of headaches, weakness, fainting and nausea.

Disproportion of the external genital organs (predominance in size of the small lips over the large lips), enlargement of the clitoris, and openness of the gap are also diagnosed. The size of the uterus is seriously inferior to normal; a forward bend is visible. It is the size of the uterus that underlies the determination of the degree of infantilism.

In the first degree of infantilism, the uterus has fetal (rudimentary) dimensions. But doctors rarely encounter such an anomaly, and they cannot help the patient in any way; with genital infantilism of the second degree, the uterus is three centimeters in size - this is the norm for a ten-year-old girl.

High location of the ovaries, the presence of long and convoluted tubes. In the third degree of infantilism, the uterus has a length of 6-7 cm. This degree is the easiest; it is possible for the hypoplastic uterus to reach normal sizes. Sexual life and pregnancy have an influence on this process.

Treatment of genital infantilism

A complete diagnosis, during which anthropometric data is measured, hormonal blood tests are carried out, urine and thyroid gland are analyzed, ultrasound, laparoscopy and hysterosalpinography are performed, and ends with the appointment of optimal therapy in each specific case.

Sexual infantilism is treated, as a result of which the female body increases its defenses, adaptation mechanisms develop, and the reproductive system improves its functioning. To do this, work, rest and nutrition must be subject to an optimal regimen; vitamin therapy, hormone therapy, balneotherapy and gynecological massage are mandatory.

Description:

Sexual or genital infantilism, detected over the age of 15 years in individuals with the female genotype, is characterized by anatomical and histological underdevelopment of the genital organs and their hypofunction. If sexual infantilism is accompanied by general infantilism (and this happens in half of all observations), then it becomes possible to establish the specified diagnosis at an earlier age (13-14 years).

This pathology is found in 4-16% of girls who have undergone a preventive examination.

There are two types of genital infantilism:

A) accompanied by ovarian failure,

B) not accompanied by ovarian hypofunction.

With sexual infantilism, cases of congenital refractoriness or decreased sensitivity of the ovaries to gonadotropins, and derivatives of the paramesonephric ducts to steroid hormones are not at all uncommon.

Causes of sexual infantilism:

Algodysmenorrhea in infantilism is associated, firstly, with insufficient elasticity of the uterus, which makes itself felt during the premenstrual rush of blood to it; secondly, with difficulty in the passage of menstrual blood and endometrial fragments through the long and narrow (with a bend due to hyperanteflexia) cervical canal; thirdly, with innervation anomalies, leading to discoordination of contractions of various parts of the uterus and to pathological impulses in the central nervous system.

Symptoms of sexual infantilism:

An infantile girl is usually short (or above average) in height, thin-boned; the epigastric angle is obtuse. The pelvis is so unique that in obstetric classifications it is designated as “children’s”.

In 3 out of 4 girls, menarche occurs late (after 16 years). with genital infantilism it occurs unusually often - up to 80%. The pain occurs 2-3 days before menstruation and continues during it. With age, algodismenorrhea decreases, and after childbirth it disappears completely.

In the symptom complex of sexual infantilism, the leading place is occupied by the condition of the uterus, called hypoplasia. There are three degrees. Rudimentary, or embryonic, uterus (uterus foetalis) - its length along the probe is less than 3.5 cm, with the cervix making up most of it. This option is rare; it is associated more with developmental anomalies themselves than with underdevelopment. Characterized by persistence. Sometimes there is a slight menstrual-like discharge.

Infantile uterus (uterus infantilis) - length along the probe is 3.5-5.0 cm; the ratio of the neck to the body is expressed as 3:1, i.e. the same as in a girl who has not yet entered puberty. In addition, additional research methods indicate hyperanteflexion of the uterus, weak expression of the vaginal vaults, high location of the ovaries, and excessive tortuosity of the fallopian tubes. Menstruation is rare and painful.

Hypoplastic uterus (uterus hypoplastics) - the length of the cavity, measured with a probe, reaches 5-7 cm; The neck to body ratio is correct - 1:3. A hypoplastic uterus is regarded not only as a consequence of damaging effects that occurred in the antenatal and early postnatal periods, but also as a result of local inflammatory processes or severe general diseases suffered in the recent past (in the prepubertal period). This pathology often disappears on its own after the onset of sexual activity and pregnancy.

Diagnostics:

In childhood, as a rule, no complaints arise. The most typical complaints during puberty are late onset, disorder (hypomenstrual type) and painful menstruation. Concerns are sometimes expressed about a lack of interest in members of the opposite sex.

Upon examination, a typical “infantile” physique attracts attention: growth deviations, an insufficiently formed chest, hypoplastic mammary glands, a narrowed pelvis, scanty hair on the pubis and axillary areas. The labia minora protrude in front of the labia majora, the clitoris appears enlarged due to some hypoplasia of the external genitalia. Underdevelopment of the external genitalia is quite consistently combined with sexual infantilism; at the same time, there is no direct relationship between the condition of the external and internal genital organs. By the way, with partial sexual infantilism, the mammary glands are sufficiently developed, and in 37% - excessively. Some girls suffering from infantilism have a tendency towards obesity.

Additional research methods are also used to diagnose infantilism. Low indicators of a girl’s physical development in 35.4% of cases also indicate delayed sexual development. Particularly indicative in this regard are the external dimensions of the pelvis, in particular the conjugata externa, which by the age of 14 barely reaches 17.5 cm, after which its growth slows down.

Functional diagnostic tests usually reveal an anovulatory cycle. With infantilism, the excretion of gonadotropins is increased, and the excretion of sex steroids is reduced to 4-8 mcg/day; the level of 17-KS corresponds to the age norm.

A rectal-abdominal-wall (or vaginal-abdominal-wall) examination reveals a lag in the size of the uterus, a predominance of cervical length, and an excessive anterior inclination of the uterus. Often, the results of probing the uterus (be careful!) are a good help in diagnosis.

Among the X-ray methods, pneumogynecography and X-ray hysterography have the greatest diagnostic value, and the latter allows you to trace the condition of the internal pharynx (no closure), the cervical canal (long, pronounced palm-shaped folds), and fallopian tubes (thin, tortuous). The lag in bone age, determined, for example, using a hand, from the calendar age reaches 1-4 years in the case of infantilism.

Registration of the biopotentials of the uterus (reduced) and rheography of the pelvic organs (insufficient blood supply) seem promising.

Treatment of sexual infantilism:

For treatment the following is prescribed:

Therapy for sexual infantilism is successful in most cases. If possible, the root cause of the developmental delay of the genital organs is eliminated. If in adult women suffering from infantilism hormone replacement or stimulating therapy is undertaken, then in girls who are in puberty or adolescence, hormonal therapy is not always indicated (at least not immediately). Previously, within 3 months, a “background of readiness” should be created, for which it is planned to use substances (vitamins E, C, B1, B6) intended to sensitize the genital organs to the effects of sex hormones on them in the future. At the same time, a course of gangleron (0.04 g once a day) or diphenhydramine or tavegil is administered in a minimum single dose of the same duration.

When starting hormonal therapy, you should once again make sure that there are no vicious gonads with blastomatous potency: male false hermaphroditism, testicular feminization, hormone-producing ovarian tumor, etc. Over the next 3-4 months, cyclic administration of estrogens and progesterone (or pregnin) is undertaken in minimal doses. Both drugs are administered sublingually.

Approximate regimen: from the 1st to the 5th day of the cycle, half a tablet (0.01 mg) of methylestradiol 1 time per day; from the 6th to the 10th day of the cycle - one tablet (0.02 mg) of methylestradiol 1 time per day; from the 11th to the 15th day of the cycle - methylestradiol tablet 2 times a day (0.05 mg per day); from the 16th to the 20th day of the cycle - 2-2.5 tablets of methylestradiol 2 times a day (0.1-0.02 mg per day); from the 18th to the 20th day of the cycle - pregnin, one tablet (10 mg) 1 time per day; from the 21st to the 25th day of the cycle - pregnin, one tablet 3 times a day (30 mg per day).

After a course of hormonal treatment, it is necessary to take a three-month break; the next course is prescribed only if necessary, i.e., if the irregularity of the spontaneous cycle, algomenorrhea, and infantile appearance persists. A maximum of 3-4 three-month courses can be carried out.

A more powerful hormonal effect is not physiological and is fraught with a number of immediate and delayed complications. To increase the sensitivity of tissues to estrogen, from the 1st to the 20th day of the cycle, thyroidin is prescribed (0.025 g per day), which is especially indicated for obesity.

In parallel with hormonal therapy, it is recommended to carry out physical therapy (paraffin); electroreflexotherapy (acupuncture, electropuncture, intranasal electrophoresis with vitamin B1, Shcherbak collar, electrical stimulation of cervical receptors, abdominal decompression, therapeutic exercises). The principles of balneophysiotherapy according to V. M. Strugatsky, differentially applied to persons suffering from infantilism, deserve attention.

Types of treatment such as mud, gynecological massage, tissue therapy, insertion of an intrauterine device, administration of gonadotropins, so widely used to treat infantilism in adults, are not popular among gynecological specialists in children and adolescents. Caution is dictated by the fear of causing irreversible disorders of specific functions of the female body or blastomatous growth.

In medicine, the term “infantilism” characterizes a state of the body in which the systems are underdeveloped. The situation is complicated by psychoemotional disorders, which often arise in adolescence. There are two known forms of pathology: congenital and acquired, and each of them can affect the body partially or completely. Therefore, it is very important to identify the disorder early in its development.

Reasons for the development of pathology

The formation and development of all internal organs and systems begins when the child is still in the womb. The process is quite long and continues after birth. The final stage occurs during adolescence. The likelihood of developing various pathologies during this period is also quite high, and with constant exposure to negative mental or physical factors it only increases.

So, among the reasons contributing to developmental delay, doctors name:

Diseases of the cardiac, nervous and vascular systems of the body of a congenital nature.
Infections with subsequent infection and illness of the child during fetal development or in early childhood.
Trauma to the skull and brain, including those that could have been sustained during childbirth.
Parental sexually transmitted diseases.
Pathologies of the endocrine system of the body of a congenital and acquired nature.
Vitamin imbalance in childhood.
Stress experienced during pregnancy.
Strict diets in adolescence.
Lack of vitamins due to poor diet.
Alcohol abuse during pregnancy.
Tobacco smoking.
Severe poisoning by toxins (alcohol, tobacco, drugs) immediately before conception.

Among other things, underdevelopment of the reproductive system can occur in a child if the pregnancy proceeds with pathologies. There is also a high probability of violation in the presence of extragenital diseases (the main sign of the disease in girls is that they do not menstruate).

General signs of developmental disorders of the genital organs

Infantilism can be general or partial. In the first case, developmental delay can be traced throughout the entire body: physical, mental, sexual. In case of partial violation, problems arise with a certain system. It is worth noting that sexual infantilism is more pronounced in females than in males.

The stronger sex experiences difficulties in functional terms: there is practically no attraction to a woman, reproductive abilities are impaired, erection is quite low. Among the visible signs - the man’s penis is half the standard size, the timbre of his voice is high, and due to the weak production of testosterone, the hair on his chest and face practically does not grow.

Signs of female infantilism are more visible in the process of gradual classification of the disease, so they should be considered in detail.

Degrees of female infantilism

When a woman has sexual infantilism, one of two types of disorders occurs in the body: either the genitals develop incorrectly, or the entire body suffers. In medicine, deviations in the development of the organs of the reproductive system, namely the uterus, are more often diagnosed, which affects reproductive function.

Infantilism is classified into three degrees:

The first is the least diagnosed form of the disease. It is characterized (its length is no more than three centimeters), and the neck is several times larger than the size of the organ. The patient does not have her period; therefore, there is no possibility of pregnancy. Reproductive function is completely impaired and cannot be restored.
The second feature of the pathology is that the length of the cervix exceeds the size of the uterus three times, despite the fact that the organ is no longer than three centimeters. Pathology is observed in the structure and location of the fallopian tubes. They have excessive bending and length. Monthly bleeding is not regular and is accompanied by severe pain. Due to the specific structure of the tubes, pregnancy is often ectopic. With long-term and proper treatment, it is possible to restore the reproductive system.
Third, the patient’s uterus is almost normal in size and is about 6-7 centimeters. The main cause of the development of pathology is infectious diseases affecting the organs of the reproductive system, which were suffered in early childhood. With the woman's return to normal, regular sexual activity, the disorders disappear without additional treatment.

Signs of female infantilism

In addition to the main degrees of pathology, sexual infantilism in women is characterized by improper functioning of the ovaries. Reproductive dysfunction and weak manifestation of secondary sexual characteristics are caused by weak production of the hormone estrogen, which also reduces libido levels.

The disease can also be recognized by its external manifestations: the breasts are underdeveloped, the pelvis is narrowed, and there is practically no hair in the pubic area. The girl herself may suspect a disorder due to irregular, painful menstruation.

Sexual infantilism in men

Representatives of the stronger sex also suffer from a similar disorder. Male infantilism is clearly expressed by delayed sexual development. Secondary sexual characteristics and organs are underdeveloped. In terms of external signs, a man with a disorder differs from his peers in that he looks excessively young.

Sexual infantilism can be suspected if there is a regular absence of sexual attraction to the opposite sex, there is no ejaculation at night, there is no sudden erection, and the man’s penis is small.

It is worth noting that the size of the penis is not always small; in exceptional cases, a man’s penis is developed normally. Then the cause of infantilism is mental underdevelopment. Deviation leads to the fact that a man cannot establish contact with a woman on an emotional level and enter into intimacy with her.

Mental form of disorder

In most cases, pathology does not arise solely against the background of mental disorders. It is accompanied by various, sometimes not entirely obvious, physical disorders. We can say that this form of the disease occurs secondary, when congenital or acquired infantilism is already progressing. It arises against the background of problems with the endocrine, cardiac and vascular systems.

A patient with a mental form of infantilism tends to behave like a child: he is frightened by everything new, attacks of hysteria often occur, he is frivolous and self-centered. More often, treatment of this disorder is carried out in a complex, with the elimination of diagnosed congenital or acquired infantilism.

Methods for diagnosing the disease

Infantilism is a complex physical and mental disorder of one or more body systems. Therefore, diagnosticians carry out a number of activities that allow them to accurately determine the etiology of the disease.

So, to make a diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe:

Conducting a consultation together with a medical interview (history collection).
Ultrasound scanning of the internal organs of the reproductive system.
Hormonal test.
Examination with a CT machine.
Tomography with Doppler to assess the condition of blood vessels and the completeness of blood circulation.
X-ray examination of the uterus.
Colposcopy.
Psychological testing.

In case of obvious pathology, 3 examination procedures will be sufficient to make a diagnosis.

All procedures and testing help specialists accurately determine discrepancies in a person’s age and development of the genital organs, and the presence of mental disorders. Based on this, the correct treatment regimen is determined.

Therapeutic methods of combating infantilism

Genital infantilism is best treated at the initial stage of development. If disorders were identified in early childhood, then the likelihood of complete recovery is very high. When the pathology is diagnosed in adulthood, treatment often does not produce any results.

The success of therapy directly depends on an accurate determination of the reasons against which infantilism developed. Pathologies that arise as a result of improper functioning of the endocrine, cardiac or vascular systems are eliminated by stabilization with medications. In some situations, surgery may be performed.

If diagnosed, a medicinal hormonal treatment regimen is used. Medicines help the body produce the missing hormones (progesterone and estradiol) in the required volume. The doctor also prescribes a course of physical therapy and medications that strengthen the immune system.

The mental form of the disease can be treated by taking tranquilizers and antidepressants. These drugs stabilize the functioning of the nervous system. In difficult situations, treatment with a psychotherapist is indicated.

Prevention

It is possible to prevent genital infantilism. Only future parents can do this, because the onset of pathology occurs during intrauterine development. Even before conception, you need to give up bad habits, lead a healthy lifestyle and reduce exposure to stressful situations.

To prevent the development of infantilism in childhood, it is necessary to ensure that the child does not come into contact with infections that can affect the organs of the reproductive system. You should also balance your diet, and teenagers should not get carried away with diets or fasting.

Infantilism(infantilismus; lat. infantilis infantile, childish, from infantis non-speaking) - a clinical syndrome characterized by a delay or arrest of physical, sexual and (or) mental development at a level characteristic of childhood or adolescence. Infantilism, the main clinical manifestations of which are signs of delayed sexual or mental development, is called partial infantilism.

The following stages of infantilism are distinguished:

Embryonicism - preservation of embryonic characteristics in premature babies;

Infantilism in the literal sense of the word (childish, infantile) is the preservation in children of signs characteristic of infants;

Puerilism (lat. puer boy) - preservation of characteristics characteristic of the pre-pubertal period in boys and girls;

Juvenalism (lat. uvenalis youthful) is the preservation of characteristics characteristic of adolescence in adults.

The clinical picture of infantilism depends on the cause of its occurrence, damage to one or another system, the degree of developmental delay and the age at which it developed. The course of infantilism (regardless of its origin) is chronic. The emergence of infantilism in the pre-pubertal period leads to the development of a clinical picture of general infantilism, which is the most common form of infantilism. General infantilism is a polyetiological and polypathogenetic syndrome, characterized by impaired physical, sexual and mental development and manifested by insufficient height and body weight, preservation of childish body proportions, underdevelopment of the genital organs and secondary sexual characteristics, and childish mental traits. The cause of the general so-called somatogenic infantilism may be chronic diseases of internal organs and metabolic disorders; insufficient nutrition, unbalanced in basic ingredients, vitamins and microelements; chronic infections and intoxications during the growth period.

Cerebro-pituitary (hypothalamic-pituitary) general infantilism develops with traumatic, infectious, vascular and other lesions of the central nervous system with disruption of the somatotropic, gonadotropic and other functions of the pituitary gland, with secondary failure of the corresponding endocrine glands and metabolic disorders.

A variant of partial infantilism is sexual infantilism in women and men with primary or secondary gonadal insufficiency (hypogonadism). Primary gonadal failure is often caused by chromosome pathology. Secondary (hypothalamic-pituitary) gonadal insufficiency in some patients with sexual infantilism is combined with impaired sense of smell (Kallmann syndrome). Some features of sexual infantilism are the same for patients of both sexes. These are eunuchoid skeletal proportions, underdevelopment of the external and internal genital organs and secondary sexual characteristics, and a virtual absence of sexual feelings. Sexual infantilism in women is characterized by amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities, dysfunctional uterine bleeding (see Uterine bleeding), infertility or miscarriage; In men with sexual infantilism, cryptorchidism, absence of erections and emissions, various forms of impaired spermatogenesis, including azoospermia, are often observed (see Infertility).

Mental infantilism is divided into exogenous and endogenous, congenital and acquired, constitutional and associated with psychopathy, endocrine diseases, organic lesions of the central nervous system, somatic and mental illnesses. Psychogenic infantilization is identified as a result of improper upbringing. Mental infantilism is characterized by immaturity of the emotional-volitional sphere, the presence of childish behavior in an adult, inconsistency, instability of interests, emotional instability, lack of independence of judgment and action, easy suggestibility, dependence on other family members, rapid nervous exhaustion, helplessness and defenselessness. At the same time, the intelligence of patients with infantilism is not impaired. With mental infantilism, we can talk about the social failure of the individual with preserved intelligence.

Treatment for infantilism, it is prescribed by a doctor. It consists of general strengthening measures, a nutritious balanced diet, complex therapy of chronic concomitant diseases, compensation for metabolic disorders, normalization of hormonal homeostasis: stimulation of the endocrine glands in case of violations of their regulation at the hypothalamic-pituitary level using tropic hormones of the pituitary gland and hypothalamic neurohormones; replacement therapy with hormonal drugs for primary pathology of the endocrine glands. For mental infantilism, therapeutic and pedagogical measures are indicated, as well as drug treatment (neuroleptics, antidepressants, tranquilizers).

Medical sections: general diseases, nervous diseases

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