Consecutive administrative of synthetic LRH in the evaluation of gonadotrophin reserve in children.

Abstract

Initial injection of synthetic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LRH) into 40 children elicited no response in LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in 15 patients with pituitary dwarfism, one with Kallmann's syndrome and in 3 anorexia nervosa patients. These patients were further treated with LRH for periods of either 3 or 14 days and the second LRH test showed an increase in LH and/or FSH in 67% of the patients with pituitary dwarfism, in the Kallmann's syndrome and in all of the anorexia nervosa patients. This result suggested that while pituitary gonadotrophs did not respond at the first LRH test because of the chronic absence of stimulation, consecutive LRH therapy, however, restored the ability to secrete LH and FSH and indicated that the pituitary was not the site of the primary lesion in these patients. The LRH test following consecutive administration of LRH may be valuable in determining whether the lesion is located in the hypothalamus or the pituitary.