Testicular feminization

Five patients with the syndrome of “testicular feminization” have been studied pre- and postoperatively along with a group of normal male subjects of comparable age. Peripheral, gonadal arterial, and gonadal venous blood samples were analyzed for androgen content, and the results are reported. Chromosomal studies were carried out upon peripheral blood and gonadal tissues and revealed a normal male karyotype (46/XY). Incubation studies using 4-14C-androstenedione as substrate revealed evidence of testosterone production, but no estrogens were identified. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism in this syndrome. The defect at puberty is not due to the absence of circulating potent androgens. This supports the hypothesis of Wilkins.2 The mechanism of the proposed nonresponsiveness remains to be elucidated.