Precocious Sexual Development From an Anterior Pituitarylike Principle

Rapidly accumulating evidence clearly shows that the anterior pituitary-like principle from the urine of pregnant women exerts a profound influence on the growth, and function of the male genitalia. It may produce an increase in the size of the penis, scrotum and prostate in both man1and animals2before the age of puberty. The consensus is that in the testis it influences primarily the interstitial cells,3although there is some evidence that the seminiferous tubules may also be affected.4Some increase in the size of the testes has been produced in rats5and monkeys.6In the course of treating patients for undescended testes we have been struck more by its influence on the growth of the genitalia than by its influence on the descent of the testis.7It will be shown that this stimulation of genital growth may be so marked that changes simulating premature puberty are produced.