Pituitary and testicular function in adolescents with varicocele

The LH and FSH responses post GnRH, and the sex steroid hormone responses p ost hCG stimulation were evaluated in a group of 41 adolescents (mean age 1 5.09 +/- 2.27) with unilateral varicocele to study the relation between the pituitary gonadotropin and sex steroid hormone responses to the patients' age and pubertal stages. Twenty-two normal boys (mean age 14.90 +/- 1.97) a lso were studied. In both groups a GnRH stimulation test was performed. Bes ides this, an hCG test was performed in 7 patients and 7 controls. No signi ficative differences in the LH and FSH responses to the GnRH stimulus were observed in 14 patients at Tanners' pubertal stages 3 to 4 compared to the controls. Twelve (44.44%) patients at Tanners' pubertal stage 5 presented a n excessive LH response at 30 and 60 min after GnRH stimulation compared to 12 age- and pubertal stage-matched controls (p <.001 and p <.05, respectiv ely). They also presented an excessive FSH response at 30 min (p <.05) post -GnRH stimulation. Correlation analysis in these 12 patients revealed a ten dency toward a positive association between the patients' age and the LH re sponse post-GnRH stimulation. In this group of adolescents with varicocele the gonadotropin response to the GnRH stimulus was influenced by the patien ts' age and by their pubertal stage of development independently of the ven ous dilatation.