Follicle-stimulating hormone. IV. Study of the histology of pubertal cryptorchid and scrotal testes in relation to the secretion of gonadotropins.

The morphologic characteristics of 85 cryptorchid and 63 contralateral (scrotal) testes showing histologic changes of puberty were studied. Spermatogenesis was not only delayed on the cryptorchid side but also hypocellular in all cases. The scrotal testes appeared hypocellular in 82.5% of the cases. Repetitive biopsies, performed in 12 patients, showed no improvement of cellularity after orchidopexy but progress in pubertal maturation. In the 22 boys submitted to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) stimulation, luteinizing hormone (LH) baseline values did not change significantly whereas follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) baseline levels increased with advancing age and histologic stage of maturation. LH responses increased with the stage of maturation (without statistical significance); however, LH responses were significantly higher in the group without germ cells. FSH responses to LH-RH stimulation were consistently and significantly higher with advancing stages of maturation and in the group without cells.