Sex Hormones and Common Abnormalities Encountered in the Acute Medicine Units

Hypogonadism is a reduction in sperm count and/or testosterone level (male) and amenorrhoea and reduction in estrogen level (female). Primary hypogonadism refers to testicular or ovarian pathology with raised levels of FSH and LH, while secondary hypogonadism refers to a disease in hypothalamic-pituitary axis leading to a deficiency in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus or FSH/LH or inadequately normal levels from the pituitary gland. Common causes of secondary hypogonadism are mass lesion in pituitary gland leading to gonadotrophins and growth hormones deficiencies mainly with preservation of more vital hormones like ACTH and TSH and hyperprolactinemia which suppresses gonadotropin secretion. Other acquired causes of secondary hypogonadism are like causes of hypopituitarism.