Early treatment of Kallmann syndrome may prevent eunuchoid appearance and behavior

Med Hypotheses. 2014 Jan;82(1):74-6. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.11.011. Epub 2013 Nov 16.

Abstract

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder which combines hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. Hypogonadism is characterized by the absence or reduced levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and anosmia due to olfactory bulb aplasia. KS treatment usually begins just before puberty, but brain sexual maturation occurs long before puberty normally at perinatal age. As brain cells implicated in the development of the olfactory and reproductive system have a rostral and a caudal origin, and the rostral origin is affected by aplasia in KS and the caudal origin does not seem to be affected, the early treatment of KS, as proposed in this paper, is to attain brain sexual maturation at the most appropriate age possible to prevent the eunuchoid behavior and appearance observed in KS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Behavioral Symptoms / prevention & control*
  • Brain / growth & development*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Kallmann Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Kallmann Syndrome / pathology*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Sexual Maturation / physiology*