children s health issues
Male Hypogonadism in Children
Secondary Hypogonadism
Secondary hypogonadism occurs when there is a problem in the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls the pituitary gland) that prevents the pituitary gland from secreting the hormones that stimulate the testes. Some of the causes involve genetic disorders that cause many other abnormalities. Kallmann syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes delayed puberty and an impaired sense of smell (some have a normal sense of smell). Children who have this syndrome are lacking proper amounts of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Affected boys have an unusually small penis and undescended testes. Panhypopituitarism is a disorder that occurs when the pituitary gland stops or decreases producing hormones. This disorder can occur when the pituitary gland is damaged (such as by a tumor or an injury). Also see Hypopituitarism . Isolated luteinizing hormone deficiency occurs when only one pituitary hormone, luteinizing hormone, is missing. When luteinizing hormone is missing, the testes develop and produce sperm, because these functions are also controlled by follicle-stimulating hormone. However, the testes do not produce enoughtestosterone, so affected boys do not develop secondary sexual characteristics. Boys do continue to grow and may have abnormally long arms and legs. Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs because part of a chromosome is missing. The function of the reproductive organs is abnormally decreased, which limits growth and sexual development. Boys have 