Managing congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism: a contemporary approach directed at optimizing fertility and long-term outcomes in males

Abstract

Hormonal induction of spermatogenesis offers men with azoospermia due to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) the promising prospect of fertility restoration. However, an important exception is the subset of individuals affected by congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (CHH), also known as Kallmann syndrome if associated with anosmia, who often display dismal responses to fertility induction, despite prolonged therapy. This primarily stems from the loss of minipuberty, which is a crucial phase of testicular maturation in early life that has a far-reaching impact on eventual spermatogenic capacity. Further exacerbating the compromised reproductive health is the failure to initiate timely pubertal induction in many CHH patients, resulting in suboptimal genital and psychosexual development. In this paper, the clinical implications and management of male HH across the lifespan is comprehensively reviewed, with a special focus on novel strategies that have the potential to modify disease severity and maximize fertility potential in CHH by addressing the inadequacies of conventional approaches.