Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Test for Hypogonadic Men

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Abstract
Gonadotropin patterns before and after stimulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have been studied in 69 hypogonadic men of various types: patients with expansive hypothalamus-pituitary disorders before and after surgery, patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and patients with oligozoospermia or azoospermia who have primary partial or total testicular deficiency. Three characteristic gonadotropin patterns were found: (a) low basal values of LH and FSH with either absent or decreased and delayed responses; (b) normal basal values and pituitary responses above the normal range; or (c) high basal values and pituitary responses above the normal range. These gonadotropin patterns were correlated with disorders of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis. The advantages and disadvantages of the GnRH test for the clinical evaluation of male hypogonadism are discussed.