Hypogonadism, (shrunken testicles in males, shrunken ovaries in females) is a condition caused by a reduction in the hormones produced by these organs. It's a symptom of many serious disorders.
- It's a symptom of hemochromatosis, although it may not appear in every male patient with the disorder.
- It's almost always seen in those persons who abuse anabolic steroids, including synthetic testosterone.
- It's a symptom of many types of heavy metal poisoning, particularly cadmium poisoning.
It can also be caused by Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, mumps, defects of the thalamus or pituitary, androgen insensitivity syndrome (which causes male pseudohermaphrotism), Noonan syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and Kallmann syndrome.