Abstract
The gonad-stimulating effects of anterior pituitary implants were demonstrated independently by Smith 1 and by Zondek and Aschheim. 2 This was soon followed by the discovery of Zondek and Aschheim 3 of a gonad-stimulating hormone in the urine of pregnancy. It was thought that a similar substance might also be present in the urine or blood of acromegalics. Probstner 4 includes 2 acromegalics in a series of obstetrical and gynecological patients on whom he made the Aschheim-Zondek test, and simply remarks that both gave a negative reaction.
Experiments were made in the attempt to demonstrate the gonad-stimulating hormone in the urine and blood of patients with pituitary tumors. The 14 patients, of whom 7 were men and 7 women, may be divided into 4 groups. The first 2 (Cases I-VI) are characterized by typical acromegalic features, hands and feet, enlargement of the sella turcica, and tufting of the distal phalanges. The first group (Cases I-III) has signs of activity such as profuse perspiration or marked weakness, and normal or elevated basal metabolic rates. The second (Cases IV-VI) has no such evidence of activity and definitely lowered basal metabolism. The third group (Cases VII-XI) is characterized by the absence of acromegaly, and the presence of amenorrhea or impotence, visual disturbances, enlargement of the sella turcica and low basal metabolism. The last group (Cases XII-XIV) consists of “suspects” who have headaches and changes in the sella turcica.
The urine nas preserved with 0.2% metacresol and kept at icebox temperature and the blood was kept at the same temperature but no preservative was used.
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