Evidence Hub

Plasma androgens during the luteal phase in a case of true hermaphroditism with bilateral ovotestis

Bercovici JP, Nahoul K, Maudelonde T, Tater D, Scholler R

Journal of steroid biochemistry, 1985

Abstract

A true hermaphrodite with a bilateral ovotestis and a 46 XX karyotype was studied. This 14-year old subject developed ambiguous puberty with bilateral gynecomastia and stage IV public hair. Relatively high level of testosterone (T) (2.80 ng/ml), was found. The 5 alpha-reductase activity for T in the pubic skin was similar to that observed in normal adult males. A hemorrhagic corpus luteum in the left ovotestis was observed at laparotomy. The luteal phase immediately after dexamethasone administration (1 mg/day for 7 days) was characterized by a significant decrease of plasma androgens, T and androstenedione (A). The constantly low level of T (0.30 ng/ml) during the luteal phase in this subject did not appear to be due to the previously administered dexamethasone. This decrease of T production in the luteal phase might be secondary either to the increase of the estradiol-17 beta (E2) secreted by the corpus luteum or to the decrease of LH levels. Both mechanisms might act concomitantly.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free