Question

The parents of 14 year old boy are concerned about his short stature and lack of sexual development. Body weight= 3 kg, birth length= 50 cm. His physical examination was normal. Upper segment/Lower segment ratio =0.98. Pre-pubertal with small amount of fine axillary and pubic hair were present. In this situation you should do the following except: A. Measure pituitary gonadotropin B. Obtain a CT scan of the pituitary area C. Biopsy his testes D. Measure serum testosterone levels E. Reassure the parents that the boy is normaL

Answer 1

Gonadotropin is released by pituitary. It controls production of sex hormones from the respective gonads, testes in this case. So levels of this hormone should be checked in this scenario. A testes biopsy would reveal any malformation in the area, in order to rule out any tumor growth. Testosterone levels are checked to ensure successful regulation of male sex development. The parents can be assured that the boy is normal based on the positive data mentioned.

However, a CT scan of pituitary may not be required.