Eunuchoidism With Low Urinary Folliclestimulating Hormone in the Female: Comparison With This Syndrome in the Male and With the Premenarchal Menopause*†

Four cases are presented of a syndrome in the female characterized by eunuchoidism without other endocrine abnormality and by an absence of urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (biologic assay). The syndrome is considered to be due to absence of pituitary FSH specifically, but it is possible that absence of pituitary luteinizing hormone is also a factor. The syndrome is contrasted with the premenarchal menopause, from which it is indistinguishable clinically, but in which there is a high titer of urinary FSH. It is also compared to eunuchoidism with low urinary FSH in the male, a syndrome with which it is etiologically identical. The results of treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin differ greatly, however, between males and females with this condition. In the male, administration of HCG may result in complete testicular development, but prolonged studies with HCG in the female have failed to demonstrate any effect.