Analysis of body height in 829 patients with different forms of testicular pathology

Analysis of body height was performed in the control group of 500 well-fertile men and in 829 patients with various forms of testicular pathology such as hypoplasia of testicles, unilateral and bilateral cryptorchism, hypogonadotrophic eunuchodism, and Klinefelter's syndrome. A statistically greater average height was found in bilateral cryptorchids, unilateral cryptorchids with an adequate spermiogenesis, hypogonadotrophic eunuchoids and chromatin-positive men. The greatest difference, when compared with the control group, was found in patients with a Klinefelter's syndrome. The authors hold the view that the plasmatic testosterone values are not the only factor conditioning the termination of the process of growth into height in males. Importance must also be given to the lowered sensibility of epiphysial growth zones to male sex hormone; this reduced sensibility is especially to be seen in chromatin-positive men.