Androgens in the Male in the Absence of the Testes
Abstract
That the testes are not the only source of androgenic material has long been recognized. Before laboratory methods of androgenic assay were available, many females with striking male characteristics were observed. The above characteristics in themselves constitute a qualitative assay for androgens and indicate their presence in these cases. Precocious sexual maturity has also frequently been reported in young males and excessive development of characteristics dependent on androgenic stimulation has been observed in adult males, in which there appeared to be reason to believe that the source of the androgens was extra-testicular. A typical observation of this kind is exemplified in a case to be reported by Dr. V. C. Laughlin and Dr. E. P. McCullagh. This report will describe a boy four years of age with a penis anatomically and functionally that of an adult, a considerable growth of pubic hair, unusual prostatic growth, a low voice, and other signs of precocious sexual maturity but with testes only the size of a pea. The androgenic output in the urine was considerably greater than that expected from an adult. The clinical diagnosis is that of androgenital syndrome. The experiments described below throw further light on the subject of testes-adrenal relationship.
Another publication1 gave a summarized account of some of the work reported herein. It was stated that androgens could be found in the blood of castrated rabbits. This in itself is not surprising, since comb-growth producing material has been demonstrated in the urine of several castrates. However, the detailed study. . .
