PENIS AND TESTICULAR SIZE IN PATIENTS WITH GROWTH HORMONE INSUFFICIENCY

Abstract

ABSTRACT The size of the penis and testicles was estimated during several years in 20 male patients with pituitary insufficiency. The patients were divided into three groups, in accordance with the type of pituitary disorder as follows: Group I – Pituitary dwarfism due to isolated HGH (human growth hormone) deficiency. Group II – Pituitary dwarfism with high IR (immunoreactive), presumably biologically inactive HGH. Group III – Idiopathic pituitary insufficiency inducing various hormone deficiencies. It was found that in all patients with a longstanding deficiency in HGH activity, the genitalia were subnormal in size like in the prepubertal period. This was especially noticeable among those patients with a hereditary type of isolated HGH deficiency, or the hereditary type of pituitary dwarfism with IR but biologically inactive HGH. A few patients with isolated HGH deficiency showed some pubertal development during which period the penis and testicles became enlarged, but even so the latter remained small for the age of the patient. It was concluded that HGH plays an active role in the determination of the size of the genitalia and gonads.