DECREASED SECRETION OF GONADOTROPINS IN A PATIENT WITH GRAVES-DISEASE

A 56-year-old female with Graves' disease who presented with decreased secretion of gonadotropins is described. She was admitted to hospital because of her being in a state of confusion. One month before admiss ion she had been diagnosed as having Graves' disease and was treated w ith methimazole since then. Plasma LH and FSH levels were undetectable , and their responses to LH-RH were extremely decreased in spite of un detectable levels of plasma estradiol and estriol. One year after trea tment, both basal and stimulated values of LH and FSH reverted to norm al as did those of TSH. Reversible suppression of gonadotropins as des cribed herein has never been reported in cases of Graves' disease.