Testicles

Characterised by testosterone deficiency in males. Primary hypogonadism occurs due to testicle damage; increased levels of gonadotropins are detected. Secondary hypogonadism occurs with anterior pituitary gland lobe insufficiency. Symptoms include the ‘feminisation’ of the male, e.g. lack of beard growth, decrease in muscle and bone mass (osteoporosis), anaemia and male breasts.

Klinefelter’s syndrome (adolescence)

Genetic disease caused by a chromosome anomaly: 47, XXY, also often mosaics. During puberty, the disease is often diagnosed due to the following symptoms:

• Changes in mental development
• Undescended testicles, hypospadia
• Macrosomia

Klinefelter’s syndrome (adulthood)

In adulthood, patients have the following symptoms:

• Hypogonadism
• Gynaecomastia
• Anaemia
• Osteoporosis
• Oligospermia, azoospermia
• Infertility
• Testicle damage (occasionally small, poorly functioning testicles)
• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Obesity
• Thromboses
• Epilepsy
• Depression