THE GONADOTROPIC HORMONES 



Ian in important aspects of its action (see the earlier volume). 

 Bliimel (1935) emphasized the diagnostic significance of the 

 presence of considerable quantities of gonadotropic hormone 

 in the urine. However, cerebral disease with increased intra- 

 cranial tension as well as the disappearance of internal secre- 

 tory activity by the gonads, as after the menopause, must 

 be ruled out, because these conditions may give rise to the 

 excretion of gonadotropic hormone in quantities greater than 

 normal. Search should then be made for hydatidiform mole, 

 chorionepithelioma, or teratoma. The last-named tumors 

 may, of course, also occur in males. Provided the neoplasm 

 secretes gonadotropic hormone, determinations of the latter 

 during treatment have obvious prognostic significance. 



Testicular tumors in relation to hormone-excretion have 

 been recently discussed by Freed and Coppack (1935), Zon- 

 dek (1937), and Hinman and Powell (1938). Fifty-eight pa- 

 tients with testicular neoplasms were investigated by Hinman 

 and Powell. The greatest amount of hormone was excreted 

 by patients with teratoid chorionepithelioma of the testis 

 (20,000 to 3,000,000 mouse-units per liter of urine). Large 

 amounts might be secreted by teratoid adenocarcinomata, 

 by "differentiated" (partly carcinomatous) teratoid neo- 

 plasms or by primitive monocellular carcinomata. Only 

 small amounts of hormone were excreted by the large number 

 of patients with differentiated monocellular carcinoma of the 

 testis. No hormone could be found in the urine of patients 

 with dysgerminoma (Zondek) or '"adult" tumors classified as 

 adult teratoma or adult seminoma (Hinman and Powell). 

 Benign hypertrophy and carcinoma of the prostate or hyper- 

 nephroma do not secrete gonadotropic hormone, as indicated 

 by its absence in the urine of patients (Owen and Cutler, 

 1936)." 



So-called prolan A or B may be found in women with 

 genital carcinoma other than the tumors already discussed. 

 It has not been shown that such hormone is not secreted by 



"See also Aron (1935) and Baudler (1936). 



[143] 



