Gonadal dysfunction in systemic diseases

Abstract

Gonadal function is significantly affected in many acute and chronic systemic diseases. As the function of the testes and the ovaries is determined by the integrity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, it is obvious that a systemic disease may affect one or more levels of the axis in such a manner that the gonadal dysfunction may have various clinical and laboratory manifestations. In this brief review, the most common disturbances seen in the main systemic diseases will be discussed.