NITROGEN RETENTION, CREATINURIA, AND OTHER EFFECTS OF THE TREATMENT OF SIMMONDS' DISEASE WITH METHYL TESTOSTERONE

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The use of methyl testosterone orally produced striking clinical improvement with accompanying laboratory changes in 4 cases of marked ant. pituitary insufficiency or Simmonds'' disease. The diagnosis was confirmed in one case by the complete lack of demonstrable pituitary cells ,at autopsy on gross or microscopic examination. Seborrhea failed to appear despite the restoration of other secondary sex characters, suggesting that androgens normally act to produce seborrhea only after the skin has been prepared by some basic mechanism or mechanisms, which are wanting in hypophyseal failure. From the laboratory standpoint, methyl testosterone caused nitrogen retention and persistent wt. gain in the absence of hypophyseal function. A marked increase in creatinuria was also noted during the period of methyl testosterone therapy. The use of methyl testosterone is suggested as an effective therapeutic agent in ant. pituitary insufficiency or Simmonds disease.