Male Hypogonadism in Hypothyroidism: A Study of Six Cases

Abstract

Gonadal status was evaluated clinically, hormonally and histologically in 6 adult male patients with myxedema of severe degree and long duration. Hypothyroidism had appeared prepuberally in 5 of these patients and postpuberally in 1; in all there was diminished urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids and pituitary gonadotropin. Histologically all the patients presented testicular abnormalities. In those with hypothyroidism of prepuberal onset the abnormalities were: a) “delayed maturation,” and b) “involution of adult characteristics,” as seen in the tubular content, tubular wall and intertubular connective tissue. In the patient in whom hypothyroidism appeared after puberty the testes showed “involution” changes in the tubular content, without apparent abnormalities in the intertubular connective tissue. The testicular lesions are apparently the result of moderate failure of pituitary gonadotropin secretion, secondary to severe and prolonged thyroid insufficiency.