Plasma gonadotropins and androgens in surgically treated cryptorchid patients

Plasma LH, FSH, and total 17betaOH androgen levels were measured in a group of 40 adult patients who underwent orchiopexy for either unilateral or bilateral cryptorchism during childhood. Gonadotropin abnormalities were found in 15 of 40 patients and thereby appeared to be a much more sensitive indicator of testicular malfunction than the androgens which were abnormal in only four patients. In the postpubertal phase, the estimation of gonadotropins and androgens appeared valuable, first, as an additional help in the prognosis of fertility, where combined raised levels of LH and FSH were found to indicate a poor prognosis; second, to detect in infertile patients gonadotropin deficiency which, if previously missed, can still be expected to respond to gonadotropin therapy; third, for the detection of the subclinically hypogonad group who may require follow-up, and finally for the detection of the low-androgen group who may require some form of hormonal therapy. As several patients in this study were found to have low gonadotropins, it is postulated that low levels of gonadotropin may play a role in the production of cryptorchism. The finding of high gonadotropin levels in another group may indicate a feedback mechanism sensitive to a damaged testis, but alternatively it is possible that there might be a primary resistance to the action of gonadotropins and it is postulated that such a resistance may be an additional factor of the causation of cryptorchism in some cases.