Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism. Investigative procedures

In patients with hypogonadism, the exact cause of the deficient androgenisation is not always clinically apparent. The data presented demonstrate that by means of hormone measurements, basally or after stimulation tests, the exact level of the lesion can usually be determined. This allows a decision with regard to appropriate therapy to be made on the basis of an accurate diagnosis. In many instances basal measurements of pituitary and gonadal hormones are all that is required to decide the level of the lesion. Care in interpreting basal levels is required, however, in view of methodological limitations and of known physiological variations with age, time of day and hour-to-hour fluctuations. If the basal hormone levels are borderline, or if the 'reserve function' of part or all of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis needs to be assessed, than the appropriate stimulation test should be performed. The indication for these stimulation procedures and results obtained in different conditions are described and problems of interpretation discussed.