Deficiency of
sex hormones can result in defective primary or secondary sexual development, or withdrawal effects 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 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
Relevant Topics in Medical Sciences