Abstract
Infertility is generally defined as a couple's inability to conceive after 1 year
of unprotected intercourse. When infertile couples seek assistance, a male factor
will be identified half of the time. Once the male has been evaluated, there are four
main categories to describe his infertility: (1) idiopathic, (2) post-testicular/obstructive,
(3) primary—where the Sertoli and/or Leydig cells of the testis fail, and (4) secondary—where
there is a problem with the hypothalamus and/or pituitary. The last, hypogonadotropic
hypogonadism (HH), accounts for up to 2% of infertile men. HH is either congenital
or acquired and usually can be successfully treated by medical intervention. This
review will focus on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis, specific defects of
this coordination center, and potential interventions for improving male-factor fertility.
Keywords
male infertility - hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - gonadotropin deficiency - recombinant
- replacement
