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Hypogonadism

Hypogonadism
Classification and external resources
Specialty Endocrinology
ICD-10 E28.3,E29.1,E23.0
ICD-9-CM 257.2
OMIM 146110
DiseasesDB 21057
MedlinePlus 001195
eMedicine article/922038
MeSH D007006
GeneReviews
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Hypogonadism means diminished functional activity of the gonads—the testes in males or the ovaries in females—that may result in diminished sex hormone biosynthesis. In layman's terms, it is sometimes called interrupted stage 1 puberty. Low androgen (e.g., testosterone) levels are referred to as hypoandrogenism and low estrogen (e.g., estradiol) as hypoestrogenism, and may occur as symptoms of hypogonadism in both sexes, but are generally only diagnosed in males and females respectively. Other hormones produced by the gonads that hypogonadism can decrease include progesterone, DHEA, anti-Müllerian hormone, activin, and inhibin. Spermatogenesis in males, and ovulation in females, may be impaired by hypogonadism, which, depending on the degree of severity, may result in partial or complete infertility.

Deficiency of sex hormones can result in defective primary or secondary sexual development, or withdrawal effects (e.g., premature menopause) in adults. Defective egg or sperm development results in infertility. The term hypogonadism usually means permanent rather than transient or reversible defects, and usually implies deficiency of reproductive hormones, with or without fertility defects. The term is less commonly used for infertility without hormone deficiency. There are many possible types of hypogonadism and several ways to categorize them. Hypogonadism is also categorized by endocrinologists by the level of the reproductive system that is defective. Physicians measure gonadotropins (LH and FSH) to distinguish primary from secondary hypogonadism. In primary hypogonadism the LH and/or FSH are usually elevated, meaning the problem is in the testicles, whereas in secondary hypogonadism, both are normal or low, suggesting the problem is in the brain.


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