Comorbidity of Anorexia Nervosa in a Male Patient with Congenital Hypogonadism: Case Report

Abstract

Male hypogonadism is a result of insufficient testicular androgen production. In addition to low circulating testosterone levels, patients develop clinical symptoms such as osteopenia, decrease in muscle mass, libido, energy and stamina, decline in cognitive function, increased adiposity, and erectile dysfunction. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is quite rarely seen in men, being usually ten times less common than in women, and shows differences in many aspects, from causation to presentation. As AN is connected to hunger physiology, it entails significant medical complications affecting, as in any general medical condition, a number of systems, including the genitourinary system. It is known that a prolonged manifestation of AN or cachexia may cause hypogonadism. This article presents the case of a patient with untreated hypogonadism, diagnosed in his infancy, who at the age of 18 developed AN.