Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Testicular enlargement in a patient with a FSH-secreting pituitary adenoma

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Endocrine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Clinically non-functional pituitary adenomas are often derived from gonadotropin producing cells. However, gonadotropinomas causing elevated serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and clinical signs of FSH hypersecretion are very rarely described. Our patient, a 56-year-old man, was referred to our clinic with signs of hypogonadism. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biochemical examinations showed a large pituitary adenoma and excessive levels of serum FSH. Clinical examination and ultrasound measurement revealed bilaterally enlarged testes. After pituitary surgery, serum FSH levels normalized and there was a decrease in testicular volume. This case suggests that supraphysiological levels of FSH from a gonadotropinoma can cause a clinically observable effect, i.e. testicular enlargement. This is in line with experimental studies showing biological effect of FSH from pituitary adenomas and previous occasional reports of ovarian hyperstimulation and testicular enlargement in patients with FSH-secreting gonadotropinomas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ACTH:

Corticotropin

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

GH:

Growth hormone

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

SHBG:

Sex hormone-binding globulin

TSH:

Thyroid stimulating hormone

References

  1. S.S. Chaidarun, A. Klibanski, Semin. Reprod. Med. 20, 339–348 (2002)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. P.J. Snyder, Gonadotroph and other clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, in Endocrine Neoplasms, ed. by A. Arnold (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1997)

    Google Scholar 

  3. O. Cooper, J.L. Geller, S. Melmed, Nat. Clin. Pract. Endocrinol. Metab. 4, 234–238 (2008)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. B. Lambert, Acta Genet. Stat. Med. 2, 1–166 (1951)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. D. Heseltine, M.C. White, P. Kendall-Taylor, D.M. De Kretser, W. Kelly, Clin. Endocrinol. 31, 411–423 (1989)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. G.D. Braunstein, in Basic & Clinical Endocrinology, 7th edn. ed. by D.G. Gardner, F.S. Greenspan (Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill, 2004), pp. 478–510

  7. H. Johnston, P.J. Baker, M. Abel, H.M. Charlton, G. Jackson, L. Fleming, T.R. Kumar, P.J. O’Shaughnessy, Endocrinology 145, 318–329 (2004)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. A.B. Galway, A.J. Hsueh, L. Daneshdoost, M.H. Zhou, S.N. Pavlou, P.J. Snyder, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 71, 907–912 (1990)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Borgato, L. Persani, R. Romoli, D. Cortelazzi, A. Spada, P. Beck-Peccoz, J. Endocrinol. Invest. 21, 372–379 (1998)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. G. Nicolis, G. Modhi, J. Gabrilove, Mt. Sinai J. Med. 49, 297–304 (1982)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. N. Lahlou, E. Le Nestour, P. Chanson, D. Seret-Bégué, P. Bouchard, M. Roger, A. Warnet, Clin. Endocrinol. 38, 301–309 (1993)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. P.J. Snyder, Endocr. Rev. 6, 552–563 (1985)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. A. Ulloa-Aguirre, C. Timossi, P. Damian-Matsumura, J.A. Dias, Endocrine 11, 205–215 (1999)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. M. Haywood, J. Spaliviero, M. Jiminez, N.C.J. King, D.J. Handelsman, C.M. Allan, Endocrinology 144, 509–517 (2003)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. D.J. McLean, P.J. Friel, D. Pouchnik, M.D. Griswold, Mol. Endocrinol. 16, 2780–2792 (2002)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. A.E. O’Connor, D.M. De Kretser, Semin. Reprod. Med. 22, 177–185 (2004)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. D. Meschede, H.M. Behre, E. Nieschlag, Andrologia 27, 207–212 (1995)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratefulness to Dr. Ann Wigelius at the department of Radiology for performing the ultrasound measurements and Dr. Göran Brattsand at the department of Clinical Chemistry for discussions and details regarding serum hormone analyses. This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Per Dahlqvist.

Additional information

Informed consent: The patient has given verbal and written informed consent to present his case in this report.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dahlqvist, P., Koskinen, LO.D., Brännström, T. et al. Testicular enlargement in a patient with a FSH-secreting pituitary adenoma. Endocr 37, 289–293 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-009-9302-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-009-9302-z

Keywords

Navigation