Reversible hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism in sexually infantile male thalassaemic patients with transfusional iron overload

Abstract

This study shows that thalassaemic patients with severe organ damage and iron overload are likely to be apulsatile with irreversible damage to their hypothalamo-pituitary axis, while those with less severe iron overload are likely to have potentially reversible hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH). Our results also suggest that gonadotrophin pulse parameters, rather than the gonadotrophin response to a GnRH bolus following prolonged pulsatile GnRH infusion, may be more useful in discriminating reversible from irreversible hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism.